Childhood Meeting
by Shadow1001
Summary: SPOILERS FOR BREATH OF THE WILD: "Zora Quest" and "Captured Memories" DLC2: Champion's Ballad. The fateful meeting with the person who would continue to save his life for time and time again...until destiny splits them apart. Link x Mipha
1. Chapter 1

**SPOILERS FOR BREATH OF THE WILD INCLUDE:**

 **"Zora Quest" Spoilers**

 **"Captured Memories" Spoiler**

* * *

His silhouette flashed as the sky roared, his footsteps splashing in the rain as he continued running. He could barely see his feet in front of him without his eyes being blurred by water. When he saw light heading straight towards him, he would jump to the side and hit the rocky walls surrounding him. He'd groan in pain, but it was nothing compared to the pain he would have felt if he were to be hit by that flash. Crouching behind a boulder, he pulled the hood that fell earlier over his head and focused.

 _Just one…_

Pulling out his bow, he could only hope to aim properly at the fierce lizard standing atop a boulder, holding its bow out in his direction. It knew he was there and was waiting.

He pulled out some seared steak he cooked earlier (cooked he says, but just held over a fire) and took a bite. It definitely didn't taste as good as it would have just out of the pot and _not_ in the rain. Regardless, he felt some of his energy return and his head clearer.

He saw the path that would lead him to victory and seize the kill. He hoped he had the endurance to make it.

Behind him he heard familiar cries, or rather gurgles and growls. He had to move; it was now or never. He started his sprint straight towards the lizard who was aiming straight at him. He stared intently at the lizard's claw, which was proving difficult with the darkness and rain, and the moment the lizard raised its claw, he jumped to the side and continued running.

Putting his bow away and pulling out his broadsword, he threw it immediately at the lizard, hitting its horn and making it squeal in pain. He sprinted even faster and caught up to it before kicking the lizard off the boulder and making it roll down the hill.

He panted as he picked up his broadsword, as well as the bow and arrows left by the lizard. The arrows somehow had perpetual electricity coursing through the tip. Presumably the lizards used the lightning to their advantage to create the arrows. He wondered if this means creating arrows using different elements were possible.

He was snapped out of his thoughts when he heard a growl from up ahead. He saw another lizard with the same bow and arrows. Placing the arrows in his quiver, he quickly ran for cover, watching where the lizard was aiming its bow carefully. When the lizard wasn't aiming directly at him, he was confused but wasn't going to waste the opportunity. The lizard released its claw but he did not need to move, as the lizard had seemed to miss and the arrow flew right by him.

So then why did he feel excruciating pain?

Electricity coursed through his veins, making him scream and lose his footing as he suddenly started to roll down the hill, similar to the lizard prior.

He quickly regained his senses, the electricity not as strong as actual lightning, and gripped the ground tightly. He pulled himself up and ducked behind a boulder for cover and reached for his sword. When it wasn't there in his sheathe, he realized he must have dropped it and instead pulled out his bow.

His entire body was numb, but he had to get a move on. But there was no way he could go on the main path anymore. He wouldn't be able to rely on his reflexes until he recovered. He glanced to his side and normally he could have climbed the cliffside, if it wasn't raining.

When he heard the cries of more lizard behind him, he realized he didn't have a choice and leapt onto the wall. He started climbing, hearing the sound of arrows behind him. He would make a leap towards one side based on the direction of the sound of bowstrings being plucked. An arrow hit his back but he gritted his teeth and made a leap upwards, before slipping.

He could see the edge just above him and with one final leap, he made it to the top. He fell to the ground but caught himself with his arms, panting as his back cried in pain of the lizard's arrows.

He looked up quickly, analysing his surroundings for any more monsters. He couldn't tell, but there was a red creature sitting by the pond near the center of the clifftop. Pulling out his bow and the arrows filled with electricity, which he had decided to dub Shock Arrows, he crouched and approached the creature, silent as a cat. The rain would also help as it covers the sound of his footsteps.

"Is someone there?"

Somehow, he heard the soft, feminine voice despite the thunder raging in the skies. He decided to stand up and make his presence known. After all, no monster he has encountered had the ability to speak Hylian.

"Hm? Are you…a Hylian?"

He didn't know how he was able to hear her, but he approached the person slowly. He could not tell who it was, or what it was. But by that phrase, he could confirm that it was probably not a Hylian.

"Oh my! You're hurt!"

Wiping away the rain on his face, he could tell that the person had fish-like features but the body had a similar erect posture to Hylians.

He didn't even notice the person had gotten near him. He didn't even notice he fell to his knees, catching his breath, coughing blood once.

"Hold still…"

She had pushed him down, his face kissing the dirt and he felt his shirt being pushed up. He heard the snap of wood and assumed she broke the tail-end of the arrow in his back.

"This may hurt, but please bear it." The way she said 'please', he wondered if he would have refused if she asked him to jump off a cliff.

Though that thought disappeared immediately as he felt his skin being stretched and cut.

"Oh thank goodness…the arrow wasn't lodged into your bones…" She pulled the arrow out, and he placed his face in the dirt to muffle his screams.

It wasn't long before he no longer felt any pain in his back. He was then rolled over on his back and he now had a proper view at his healer's face.

Her skin, or scales, were dark red (though he assumed that it was dark red because it was dark and raining) though her face and torso were white. She was wearing some form of jewellery on her head and hanging around her neck, different from the jewellery Hylian royalty wear, and had a small cape on her shoulder with a blue jewel attached.

"There you go." He blinked as she released his arm that she grabbed without him noticing. He sat up, noticing all the pain was gone. Looking at his arms, he noticed all cuts and bruises he gathered were gone. As if they were never there. Not even a scar.

"How…?" He continued staring at his arm in amazement.

The girl smiled softly. "I healed you…using my powers."

He whipped his head to her in shock before smiling and bowed his head. "Thank you very much. I owe you my life."

"Stop, it feels weird to have a young Hylian bowing to me."

He let out a quiet laugh and stood back up. He rubbed the back of his head before extending his hand. "I'm Link, nice to meet you."

The girl looked at his fingerless glove-clad hand, confused before realizing its purpose. She grasped his hand with both of hers, making Link realize how soft and slippery her hands were. And how muddy and callous his were. "I'm Mipha, Princess of the Zoras."

Link blinked before adopting a panicked expression. "O-oh! I'm sorry, I didn't know!" Before Link could kneel to show his respect, Mipha stopped him.

"Please, don't worry about it. Like I said, you're young and a Hylian." She released his hand and he rubbed the back of it, her wet, smooth touch lingering.

"Thank you again, Mipha." Mipha nodded and turned around, walking to the pond in the middle of the clifftop. Link blinked and followed her. She sat back down and went back to staring at the pond. When Link sat down next to her, she nearly jumped in surprise. "What are you doing here?"

"I just come here for some peace and quiet," Mipha answered, staring at the water. A moment of silence.

"Erm, aren't you gonna ask why I'm here?"

Mipha turned and faced Link. "I am curious. You're quite young to be in a dangerous place like this. Would you tell me?"

Link smiled and nodded. "I'm training to get stronger. I want to protect Hyrule when I get older and become a knight."

Mipha frowned. "But you're only…ten years old?"

Link raised his fingers. "Nine actually. Good guess."

"That's insane! How could you risk your life like that!? If you die, there won't be a future for you!" Mipha exclaimed, her quiet voice suddenly filled with passion. It definitely surprised Link.

"I guess that could be a problem," Link halfheartedly shrugged. "I'm not worried though. The monsters around here aren't too smart. It's not like I'm fighting those Guardians. They aren't too difficult to kill." While Link said that, his brows furrowed, thinking back to the Shock Arrows.

"Is something the matter?" Mipha noticed Link's sudden serious expression.

Link turned back to Mipha, realizing that perhaps Mipha could help explain what had happened. He pulled out the Shock Arrows he salvaged. When he showed it to her, her eyes widened. "Those lizards were shooting these at me. Though they aren't as strong as lightning, they still hurt. But there's something weird about these. They have an area of effect or something, because when I dodged one, it landed near me but I was still electrocuted."

Mipha had placed her hand under her chin as she listened. "That explains those injuries…Perhaps you were standing in water?" Seeing Link tilt his head she explained. "Water can conduct electricity, or rather the impurities in water. Similar to how metal conducts electricity."

"Ah…" Link nodded, everything now making sense to him. At the same time, countless new strategies were forming in his mind. Especially if he could find a way to produce more. At the same time, if regular monsters were using these weapons, they were getting more intelligent. "Thanks. I know what I'm going to be doing when I get back home!"

"I'm glad I could be of assistance. Just promise me you'll be more careful from now on."

Link scratched his cheek. "Well, there's no way to get stronger without roughing yourself up right?" Mipha frowned at that but Link smiled. "Besides, I have a new friend who can heal me, right?" Link smiled widely and Mipha stared at him, surprised.

"…Friend?" She said slowly.

"Sure! I'll be sure to visit you one day! Where do you live?"

Mipha pointed to the tall mountain nearby. "I live in Zora's Domain. Perhaps you can ask a soldier to give you an escort?"

Link waved her suggestion off. "Nah, I can make it up there on my own."

Mipha frowned, still having doubts about the young boy's skill but didn't want to offend him. "Just be careful."

"Have some faith in me! …Oh right! Do you like steak?" Link pulled out his seared steak that obviously had been bitten.

"What is steak?" Mipha tilted her head, staring at the brown meat in curiosity.

"A Hylian delicacy, that's what! Want to try?"

Mipha nodded and Link handed the seared steak to her. When Mipha opened her mouth, Link couldn't help but notice how white her teeth was, which was an obscure thing to notice. He watched her face as she took a bite, chewed, and swallowed. Her face scrunched and she handed back the steak. "It's…very interesting."

Link laughed. "You don't need to lie! I forgot that it tastes better straight from the pot."

Mipha smiled "Then I hope you'd allow me to taste it 'straight from the pot' one day."

Link's own smile widened. "Definitely!"

* * *

Link released his finger and let his arrow fly. The arrowhead cackled with electricity before landing directly in the center of a tree. Link wiped the sweat off his forehead as he turned and looked around. He was atop a tall mountain to the east of Zora's Domain. There were trees surrounding the clearing he was in and each one had several Shock Arrows embedded in them. Though with the sun being high above him, you couldn't really see the arrows. He decided to use the area as a training ground for his archery skills. This way he wouldn't be distracted by anyone he would rather not see.

Of course, the Zora who was approaching him was definitely someone he appreciated.

"Let me see your hand."

Knowing there was no use in defying her, he held out his left hand. His fingers were bruised from continuous shooting. Mipha grasped his hand began using her powers. Her hands glowed and soon Link's fingers were healed quickly.

Link flexed his fingers. "Is there anything you can't heal?"

Mipha smiled but didn't answer, knowing the question was rhetoric. After all, she would rather not discuss that. "I must say, you are very impressive with the bow. You may even be able to rival a Rito."

"Well, as far as I'm concerned, they cheat. They use bows that can fire two or three arrows at once!" Link joked before laughing and getting a giggle out of the Zora Princess.

"Perhaps…by the way, I noticed you have stopped wearing your soldier uniform. Is there a reason?"

"Those uniforms really limit the way I can move around the battlefield. Sure, they're good for taking hits but why take hits when you can avoid them? I can't do half the things I can with that uniform." Link did a quick back flip to demonstrate.

"I suppose that's fair." Link nodded before staring at Mipha intently.

"…I'm really glad you've opened up."

"Huh?" Mipha was taken aback by the sudden statement.

Link turned to the blue sky, reminiscing. "You were so reserved and shy but you've really opened up. I'm glad."

Mipha smiled. "Perhaps I have you to thank. Your courage is very contagious."

Link smiled and rubbed the back of his head. "I don't think so…" Mipha shook her head to cut Link off before he could sell himself short.

"Well then," Mipha picked up the weapon at her feet. "How about a quick spar?"

Link's face lit up and he nodded, pulling his broadsword out of his sheathe and placing his bow on his back. "I need to get better at facing spear-wielders and who better to train with than a master?"

Mipha blushed and crouched slightly, wielding the spear in front of her. "I wouldn't call myself a master…"

Link raised a brow as he lowered his sword and adopted his fighting stance. "Then what would you call yourself? Because I've faced a lot of people at the castle and no one wields a spear better than you."

Mipha shook her head. "If you're trying to distract me with these compliments, I'm afraid you'll have to try harder than that."

"I'm not. It's the truth. But let's just get started."

Link began with a quick dash and stabbed in Mipha's direction who raised her spear to deflect the stab. She quickly swung the spear, forcing Link to perform a back flip. Mipha had seen Link's ability to counter after he dodged an attack at the perfect moment and was prepared.

When Link landed he rushed straight at her incredibly fast but Mipha kept him at bay with a back flip of her own and then a swing to push him back. He deflected the swing and went for an upper slash from below. Mipha saw it coming and sidestepped to the left.

As far as she knew, apparently she was the only person Link knew who could keep up with him. When she met Link several years ago she thought he may have been full of himself but every time they met since he continuously proved himself to be a more than capable warrior.

When she sidestepped she delivered a stab towards Link who tried to deflect but was thrown off balance. Using this opportunity, Mipha did a low sweep and knocked Link off his feet. "Shoot…that went by too fast," as he collapsed on the grass, dropping his sword.

Mipha sat down next to Link and grasped his hand. "You're still really strong. I've just seen you fight a lot so I know what to expect."

Link sat up and smiled. "I've seen you fight a lot as well."

"Then I guess I'm just better than you." Mipha teased and Link chuckled.

"Maybe I should ask you to teach me how to use a spear?"

"Perhaps. Then you'd actually be a challenge."

Link laughed. "So blunt."

Mipha giggled. "You know I'm joking."

"Of course. But I wasn't joking, I'd really like to learn how to use a spear."

"Oh. Aren't you learning how to use two-handed weapons from the Gorons?"

Link shrugged. "Yeah, but learning how to use another weapon couldn't hurt."

"Believe me," Mipha stood up and poked him lightly with her spear, causing him to yelp. "It can hurt."

"Well my teacher is a healer, so what's a few scratches?"

"Yes, of course. I will always be here for you." Mipha smiled at Link before poking him once again with her spear. "Now then, I do believe I will require payment for my teachings."

"Oh?" Link was confused by her sudden demand. Mipha was never one to wish for a reward.

"How about we…" Mipha blushed. "Spend some more time together after each lesson, hm?"

Link gave a small smile as he stood up. "You just needed to ask. I'm done training for today, so how about we go do something now?"

"Ah, I don't want to distract you from your training…I know that was the reason why you decided to train up here."

Link picked up his sword and sheathed it. "Don't worry about it. By distractions, I meant soldiers coming and joining my training. When I'm training with them I have to hold back. I really appreciate you Mipha. So come on!" Link grabbed her hand and started to pull her towards the diving spot.

"Ah, what if you get a cold?" Mipha asked worriedly. "I can't cure illness."

Link shrugged. "One day I'll get waterproof armour. Besides, this is the fastest way to Kasuto Town! Come on, let's dive together!"

Mipha sighed but smiled regardless. She tightened her hold on his hand. "I'll make you waterproof armour. It would even help you swim faster."

"That sounds amazing. I look forward to it."

With that, the two jumped off and into the lake, hand in hand.

* * *

 **Thanks for reading! I'd like to hear your thoughts so please review! Should I leave this as a One-shot? Several little stories? Sequel? What can I improve on? Were the characters too ooc?**

 **So this wasn't as spoiler-heavy as some people expected but there are people who have yet to play the game and there are people who have yet to complete "Zora Quest." Looking back, I have no idea why I put a "Captured Memories" spoiler since I'm pretty sure there is none but I'll keep it just in case. I'm just trying to be respectful.**

 **Oh right, this story is a "Captured Memories" spoiler in the sense that it spoils Link and Mipha were childhood friends :P (Though that's more of a "Zora Quest" spoiler). I wanted to expand on how they met and how close they were. I probably should have gave Mipha some more character or something. I just felt like I** ** _had_** **to write something for this pair.**

 **I beat Breath of the Wild the other day, almost 100%. Done most shrines and sidequests. I for one thoroughly enjoyed the game. It's weak point is the character development I think so I wanted to do more with the characters. Well, Mipha really. It _almost_ seems canon judging by Link's response after Diving Beast Vah Ruta. **

**I would like to hear some of your thoughts on Breath of the Wild. Though if you do decide to review, keep your review spoiler-free please. Well, just don't say anything that would spoil major plot points or surprises. Zora Quest you can talk about all you want since this is story by itself is a spoiler for the Quest. Sort of. If you message me or I message you, don't worry about spoiling me because I've either done/seen most things or have been spoiled by friends.**

 **Kasuto Town doesn't exist in the actual game. I don't remember if there was a location called Kasuto but I doubt it. It's a town in Zelda II if you were curious. Reason why I made it up is because I assume pre-Calamity Ganon there were more towns. I feel that is a fair assumption.**

 **EDIT 13.07.18**

 **\- Slight edits**


	2. Chapter 2

A large exhale and a splash of water echoed in quiet mountaintop as Link surfaced from underwater. Link climbed up from the lake, wearing nothing but a pair of shorts, walking towards his fellow drenched companion.

"I don't know why you keep insisting on these races…" Mipha said, handing Link his armour and towel.

"How else do I improve my swimming?" Link responded, accepting his towel and began drying off.

"You could challenge a fellow Hylian rather than a Zora. No matter how talented you are, you could never hope to compete against a Zora in swimming. Even the elders and children can beat you."

"I wouldn't be able to improve as much if I trained with the soldiers. Haven't you noticed? My time has decreased!"

"That is true, but I don't understand how losing to me and the other Zora's have helped…"

Link tossed his towel onto a nearby rock and accepted his armour that Mipha had continued to hold. "I can see how you Zora's swim. Learn the techniques, what to improve and everything. Who better to learn how to swim than the best swimmers in Hyrule?"

"I still don't understand. Our biology is quite different, hence our swimming capabilities. A Hylian could never compare…no offense."

"None taken. I understand where you're coming from, Mipha, but some limits can be overcome. I want to be able to swim fast without getting tired quickly." Link suddenly had a frown and stopped when putting on his leggings. "The soldiers…they think they've mastered their skills. They have no room for improvement and think they've done all that they could. What's the point of training with people like that?"

Mipha stared at Link, surprised, before turning her gaze to the ground. "I…had no idea. I apologize Link."

Link shook his head and gave Mipha a smile. "Don't worry about it. I'm not surprised that you doubt me. But that's why it will be even better when I prove you and everyone wrong!"

"I know you will…and I apologize again for doubting you. If anyone can overcome their limits, it's you." Mipha returned Link's smile with one of her own. "And from now on, I'll always be here, encouraging you."

"Thanks, Mipha."

There was a moment of silence while the two stared at one another before Mipha broke it and looked towards the sky. "It's getting late…"

"Ah, I didn't mean to keep you hear for so long."

Mipha shook her head. "It's fine. I'll take any chance I get to spend some time with you."

Link scratched his cheek and stuffed his fingerless gloves into his pocket. "Then how about we get going before it gets too dark and the chancellor gets upset at me." He extended his hand which Mipha took immediately.

They had begun their trek down the mountain towards a waterfall for Mipha to dive in to return to Zora's Domain. On the way, they heard some strange sounds, similar to laughter but with snorts and croaking. Immediately, Link and Mipha crouched behind a rock for cover and Link peeked out from behind the rock to observe.

"A monster camp…" Link whispered. "When did they set up?"

"How many monsters?"

"Two Lizalfos and a Moblin by the campfire. One Lizalfos on lookout," Link answered, pulling out his bow. "Can you get around to the other side without being seen?"

"Hm? Are we going to flank them? You're normally more straightforward."

"If I know we can defeat them without any problems…but I've never seen a Moblin of that colour." Mipha poked her head out and noticed Link was right. The Moblin was black and she could just tell it had another level of toughness compared to the normal Moblins.

"But by sending me to the other side, you plan on having myself fight the Moblin?"

"I'd like to give it a crack, but I know my role. I have to take out the lizards. Especially since we don't know what type of arrow that lookout uses. If it uses Shock Arrows, you'd be in serious danger."

"A sneak strike could finish those Lizalfos…but I don't know about that Moblin." The two analyzed the camp for a minute.

"Go." As soon as Link said that, Mipha began to quietly crouch around the rows of rocks next to the cliff edge, careful not to slip. Soon she was in position behind a boulder close to the camp but slightly off the road. She could not give a signal to Link without giving away her position so she simply stayed still with her spear raised.

Link waited another minute to make absolutely sure Mipha was in position before shooting a regular arrow at the lookout Lizalfos. The arrow hit it square in the horn, making it fall to the ground, dead. The other monsters got up and looked around, not sure of where the attack came from.

When the Moblin began to sniff the air, Link knew he had to reveal himself before Mipha gets discovered. He climbed onto the rock he was hiding behind and jumped into the air and fired another arrow at one of the Lizalfos, once again straight in the skull, killing it instantly. The second Lizalfos began moving towards him in a zig-zag pattern before slashing at him with a knight's sword, Link recognized.

Meanwhile, Mipha was approaching the Moblin stealthily. Its attention on Link and it started walking towards him, albeit much slower in comparison to the Lizalfos. While she had taught Link how to use a spear, he had taught her about techniques involving stealth. She used the tall grass to her advantage and when she caught up to the Moblin, she initiated her attack.

She stabbed its right leg before sweeping to the left. She expected it to fall, but all that did was make it stumble with only little blood flowing out of the wound. The Moblin turned around and did a wide-swing with its own spear. Mipha crouched, avoiding the second on and back flipped when the Moblin returned with a rebound.

Link had disposed of the Lizalfos easily and turned his attention to Mipha who had just avoided the Moblin's attack. While the swing was slow, Link noticed that it had serious power behind it. If Mipha was hit, she'd die. He believed in her dodging capabilities however, and rushed. He took a small hop before slamming his own spear down on the Moblin's back.

Mipha then returned with a flurry of stabs straight in the Moblin's stomach, blood spraying for every strike.

The Moblin, however was not going down so easily. It let out a roar that for a second stunned both warriors before slamming its spear to the ground. The shockwave managed to knock both Link and Mipha onto the ground.

The Moblin approached Mipha and was about to perform a repeat, this time the spear into her heart, but Mipha was quick enough to use her spear that was stuck in the ground to propel her up and to the side. Pulling the spear out of the ground, she swung then stabbed at the Moblin's right arm.

Link used the distraction to grip the Moblin's back and force him on its shoulders. There he pulled out an arrow and stabbed it in its eyes and nose, removing two of its senses. He left the single arrow in its nose and performed a back flip off its back.

Once more, Mipha executed a flurry of stabs, this time not concentrating on a single point but spread out the stabs. At this point, the Moblin dropped its weapon and was flailing about. It wasn't long before the Moblin's legs gave way and soon its life.

Mipha and Link let out a breath at the same time before staring down the corpse, in case if, by some sorcery, it would revive. When it was evident the corpse wasn't planning on moving, the two stepped out of the puddle of blood and walked towards each other.

"Looks like I'll have to report to the captain about this," Link said before bending down and cutting the Moblin's horn and taking it for himself.

"That would be wise. Especially since this is on the road too. Any caravans wouldn't stand a chance. I'd dare say even the soldiers would have struggled."

Link shook his head as he stuffed the horn in his pocket, taking out his finger-less gloves. "Struggled? I don't think they would have survived."

"Surely you can give them more credit?"

"Struggled it is. Now then…" Link looked at his armour, covered in monster blood. "What am I going to do about this?"

Knowing Link wasn't going back to Castle Town in armour caked in blood, Mipha knew there was only one option for him. "Wash it, I suppose."

Link sighed. "I guess I'm spending the night out here."

Despite Link's misery, Mipha couldn't help but giggle. "You really don't want to wear the soldier's uniform."

Link shook his head furiously. "No way. And you know the moment they see me they're going to force the uniform on me just because this armour is dirty and not suited for combat."

"Then let's find a place where we can stay the night safely."

Link raised a brow. "We? I don't think so Mipha. The king and chancellor will be very worried. You don't want to worry them, do you?"

Mipha had a guilty look on her face. "No but…I don't want to leave you alone."

"Your family is more important, you know? Besides, I'll be the one suffering the consequences if you don't return. Don't worry, I can survive a night out here! Done it before, trust me!"

Mipha was torn between having to choose. "I…all right. I'll head back. I know you'll be fine. You know when to retreat. At least let me heal you." Link nodded and Mipha checked Link's arms and face and healed the tiny scratches. Mipha nodded happily and began walking towards the sound of crashing water in the distance. "Also, Link…"

"Hm?"

"You're also…no," Mipha blushed but Link was unable to see. "You're more important to me than my family."

With that, Mipha quickly walked away while Link stared after her before smiling. "You too, Mipha." Link looked around and saw a small alcove in a nearby cliff. Taking out his spear, a piece of wood, and flint, Link got ready to set up camp. The dreams he would have would be far from unpleasant.

* * *

Stretching his arms, Link sat up and yawned. Quickly registering why he was out, he stood up and looked around, wearing only shorts and a white shirt. His armour which was resting on a nearby rock was washed of blood and dry.

But what stood out to him was the firewood that was lit.

"I thought I put it out…" Link mumbled before suddenly sighing as he realized why it was lit.

"I must say I'm quite surprised." Link turned around and saw Mipha walk towards him holding two apples. "You were sleeping so soundly, I wonder what would have happened if a monster attacked."

Link followed Mipha to the fire and sat down next to her. He took the apples from her and held them above the fire. "I would have woken up. I'm always on guard, even in my sleep. So a friendly presence isn't going to wake me up."

"I hope that's true."

Link handed Mipha one of the baked apples. "It is. Though, why are you here?"

Mipha accepted the baked apple with a smile. "I believe you already know the answer to that."

Link looked up towards the sky. "It's almost noon…Wow I sure slept like a log."

Mipha nodded in agreement. "From what I've heard from you, Hylians snore in their sleep. I'm surprised at how quiet you were."

"I've just trained myself not to snore," Link laughed. "It won't do me any good if I'm discovered just because an enemy heard me snoring!"

Giggling, Mipha took a bite out of the baked apple. "You really do know how to turn the simplest of food into something so tasty."

"What can I say? The better the meal, the better I fight!" Link exclaimed before taking a bite out of his own baked apple. The two quickly ate the apple before putting out the fire. Link walked over to his armour and began putting it back on.

"Where did you get that armour?" Mipha asked, examining the armour.

"Kakariko," Link answered, slipping an arm through the sleeve. "It's better than the soldier uniform by far."

"The fabric seems easy to customize. Perhaps you are going to dye it?"

Link shook his head. "Nah, that's just a waste of rupees. Besides, I like the colour red."

Mipha blushed when he winked at her. She shook her head. "I don't understand how you can be so quiet in public but when we're alone you…"

Link raised a brow, a small smile on his lips. "I, what?"

Mipha huffed and turned around. "If I knew all you were going to do was tease me, I would have never came to check up on you."

Link laughed and scratched the back of his head. "I didn't mean anything bad by it, you know that."

Mipha turned back around, with a smile on her face. "So what do you have in mind for today? Training?"

Link finished putting his armour on, adjusting his fingerless gloves. "I can take a day off training. I need to return to the Castle." Link looked at Mipha and quickly changed his plans. "But they can wait, I have an idea. Let's go to the Foothill Stable."

Mipha tilted her head. "A stable? Why?"

Link grinned and grabbed her hand. "It's time you finally ride a horse!"

* * *

They had walked down the mountain and approached the stable which happened to be the nearest one. Link took out a horse he had boarded at that particular stable, which also happened to be his most trusted horse.

"I wasn't aware you brought Epona here…" Mipha was surprised but laughed when Epona started biting Link's head.

"Ow! Hey! I get it, you're mad because I didn't come for you last night. Calm down!" Link tried petting Epona's mane while his head was gently chewed on. Epona calmed down fairly quickly in the end and Link turned to Mipha. "Well, I can't think of a better horse for you to start with than Epona."

Mipha quickly raised her hands. "It's all right Link. I'm not too interested in riding horses."

"Oh, right. You don't like being rough. Well that's fine. I never said you were going to ride a horse on your own."

Mipha blinked. "Whatever do you mean?"

Link took off Epona's saddle and went inside the stable. He returned with a bigger double seat saddle. "You're going to ride with me!" Link quickly placed and adjusted the new saddle on Epona. He gestured for Mipha to come over which she did hesitantly.

"I'm not sure if this is such a good idea…"Mipha said while placing herself on the seat with Link's help and sliding her feet into the stirrup. The length of the stirrup was already adjusted for her, making her wonder if Link had prepared for this beforehand.

"I think it's a great idea," Link rebutted and quickly placed himself in front of Mipha. Sliding his boots into the front stirrup. He gripped the rein but didn't need to do anything as Epona started jogging towards the main path.

"Hold on to whatever makes you feel safe," Link said, purposely saying it as vague as possible. The logical thing to hold onto would be the saddle itself.

"Whatever makes me feel safe…?" It didn't take long before Mipha placed her hands on Link's sides.

Link chuckled. "Try and enjoy the scenery. Easily one of the best perks to horse riding."

Mipha nodded though Link was unable to see. Soon Epona was now moving faster. "Hyrule's like a blur…" Mipha stated quietly after they had made their way to the plains north of Zora's Domain.

"Are we going to fast?" Link asked worriedly and Epona sensed his thoughts as she slowed down.

"Ah…thank you. This is just so different. I'm used to seeing the rocks around me from underwater go by so quickly but seeing the trees and distant cliffs move so fast…"

"This is another reason. If you stick with everything you already know, you'll never experience anything new." Link outstretched his arms, feeling the wind. "It's a great feeling and I wanted you to experience this as well."

Mipha went silent, slowly digesting his words. Link turned around and gave Mipha a smile before pulling the reins slightly. Epona slowly halted to a stop and Link climbed down. "Here, you take the reins."

"Huh?" Mipha was surprised but wasn't against it as she moved to the front saddle. Link adjusted the stirrup lengths and hopped on behind her.

"Epona won't be able to sense your thoughts, so you'll have to guide her yourself using the reins…"

It didn't take long for Link to finish teaching Mipha everything he knew about horseback riding and soon they were once again moving. Link could tell how nervous and focused Mipha was and continuously told her to relax and calm down.

"I don't know how you do it…You have to make sure you don't panic and startle your horse, you have to stay focused on the path while also being aware of your surroundings, and you have to make sure you make the correct maneuvers."

"Well when you put it like that, is that so different from fighting?"

Mipha paused her thoughts and realized Link had a point. "But I have to also look out for someone else, in this case Epona."

"Oh? Are you saying that when we fight side by side you don't look out for me?"

"Of course I do!" Mipha blurted before realizing Link's point once again. "I see. I'll…try and be calmer."

"I wasn't expecting you to master horseback riding on your first try. But that's why we keep practicing…"

"…to overcome our limits."

"Exactly!" Link grinned and could tell Mipha was smiling as well judging by how Epona started to pick up the pace.

"…Link."

"Yes, Mipha?"

"Hold on to whatever makes you feel safe."

Link's grin grew as he mimicked her actions from earlier.

* * *

Mipha collapsed on her bed, completely exhausted. Her brother had asked why she looked incredibly joyful and her father had made the embarrassing comment before laughing. "That's what being in love does, Sidon!"

She didn't, or rather couldn't, deny it of course. And she was fairly certain Link felt the same towards her.

She wondered if he knew the true purpose behind her idea of making him the waterproof armour…and she wasn't sure if she wanted him to find out.

* * *

 **\- Story takes place after Chapter 1**

 **Reason for specifying the timeline is because I think this story is just going to be a collection of One-Shots and I may have chapters that take place between certain events in a previous chapter or even take place in an** ** _Alternate Universe_** ***nudgenudgewinkwink***

 **Anyways, I really appreciate all the reviews! You all were so nice and seeing all the love for Mipha made me feel really happy. Despite listening to** ** _Mipha's Theme_** **…on loop…ANYWAYS. Thank you guys again!**

 **Review to let me know your thoughts! What can be improved, what I can focus on (whether it be more on their characters or romance), maybe even suggest ideas? Can't say I'll use them though.**

 **Story Content:**

 **At this point, these one-shots are just random prompts that come to mind. One thought I had was having the Zora's come to Hyrule Castle and have dinner with the Royal Family and thus Mipha sees Link's public face but from the 700 or so words I wrote it wasn't good. I strayed off the path of the character development I envisioned:**

 **I've been trying to keep Mipha away from some timid mistress while also not degrading Link's knight status. I want to show they are practically on equal terms skill-wise but Link does have more experience with the world.**

 **Link x Mipha ramble:**

 **So I was thinking about the purpose of the Zora Armour:**

\- **Zora princesses create armour for the person they married. (Details are in game)**

 **So why would Mipha create the Zora Armour if she** ** _wasn't_** **certain Link returned her feelings? It seems like love is more serious in Breath of the Wild than reality.**

 **There are travellers you can save and some are married couples who talk about how as long as they're with their spouse everything will be all right. There's plenty of relationship dialogue and quests and most are serious.**

 **Though it can be argued that Link never returned those feelings because no one told him he did (from what I recall anyways) but considering Mipha never gave Link the armour before, I'd say it's safe to say they never had a chance to express their feelings, with all the Guardians, Divine Beasts, and Calamity going on. As well as Zelda's journeys to the springs that probably prevented Link from spending time with Mipha.**

 **I think this is a good piece of evidence to prove Link x Mipha isn't one-sided on Mipha's behalf.**

 **EDITS - 14.07.18**

 **\- Minor edits**


	3. Chapter 3

Footsteps echoed on the silent mountain. From the distance what seemed to be a small, Hylian male walked up the Domain, a small smile on his face. When the guards saw him, they quickly moved to the side and let him pass before giving a cheer.

The entire domain was filled with uproars of the people. Some chanted his name, others laughed and cried in happiness. Children ran up to him, gushing about his heroism. He gave them a pat on the head and some encouraging words before making his way to the throne room. As soon as he stepped into the room and was about to kneel, he was greeted by a loud laugh that carried authority.

"Hylian Knight Link! We cannot express the gratitude we have for what you have done!"

King Dorephan, the King of the Zoras for years and years to come. He commanded great respect and friendship from so many across the land.

The more important note about the king, was that he was Mipha's father.

"I'm a knight of Hyrule. I swore to protect this land from tyrants. I only wish you called upon me sooner."

King Dorephan shook his head. "You were ill. My morals and conscience would have never allowed me to. Especially since it was because of us you fell ill."

Link shook his head. "Let's forget about that, King Dorephan. It was only natural for me to help."

"Hm. Well, regardless I would like to give you a token of my appreciation, and believe me I would love to give you more but I'm afraid the chancellor does not agree with me there."

Link shook his head once again. "I don't need a reward, sir."

King Dorephan laughed again. "You reject my reward, you disgrace us. Besides, it was my daughter who crafted your reward. You wouldn't want to let her efforts go to waste, would you?" Link immediately shook his head, again, making the king laugh, again. "Mipha, come grant our knight his reward!"

A few seconds and Mipha appeared from behind Link, carrying a box made of a special type of metal with a jewel on the top. The moment she saw Link, her expression changed to pure shock. "Link!? You were the…?" Before Link could say anything, Mipha closed her eyes. "I should have known. No other Hylian Knight would have offered to do such a thing. And that is your favourite training ground after all."

"This place is also a second home to me," Link said immediately and began to explain, "If something like that came here, it would be disastrous. So the moment I recovered, I rushed here as fast as I could."

Mipha sighed before smiling, "I don't expect anything less from you."

The laughter from her father caused the two to look at him. "Second home, huh? Perhaps this will be your permanent home soon Link! Hahaha!" Link rubbed the back of his head bashfully while Mipha blushed and turned back to Link.

"Here you go, Link. I…made this myself. It's strange…Even though I wasn't told who slayed that beast, I suppose deep down I knew it was you, which is why this ended up being what it is."

"Huh?" Link graciously accepted the box, curious of its content. He placed it on the ground and opened it, making his eyes widened as he stood back up with the item in hand. "Wow…"

"This is the first time since over ten millenniums ago that a Hylian has received a gift from the Zora Princess," King Dorephan said, looking down at the two with a warm smile on his face. "However, this is the first time that it has been handmade by our princess."

Link looked at Mipha who was staring at a crab sidestepping near her feet. "It's amazing, thank you Mipha."

Mipha looked back at Link and nodded. "It…has a mask that allows you breathe underwater. Knowing you, you'll be able to think of some new combat techniques."

Link placed the helmet on his head. "A perfect fit."

"Phew, I'm glad." Mipha smiled, "I was worried…"

When King Dorephan cleared his throat, the two turned to him. "Link, why don't you clean up and then join us in the plaza for the party?" Link nodded and placed the helmet back in the box and picked it up. King Dorephan addressed Mipha. "Mipha, dear, why don't you assist Link?"

Mipha glanced at Link before nodding. She almost grabbed Link's hand but stopped herself. "Link, follow me."

Link did as told and followed Mipha to a familiar room. "Isn't this your room?" Link walked to the center while Mipha closed the door.

"I wouldn't be surprised if father noticed. You normally don't wear such long sleeves."

Link froze before giving Mipha a sheepish expression. "Figures. Nothing gets past you." Link pulled his sleeve back to reveal long, stretched wounds. "I was lucky that the smell of fish covered my blood's scent."

Link started taking off his armour and weapons and the more he took off, the more wounds were exposed. Mipha frowned and walked towards him. Immediately she hovered her hand over his chest where there was a fresh wound that was still bleeding.

"Your armour must be soaked. With blood," Mipha said, glancing to his discarded armour. "How could you stand it?"

Link gave a slight shrug, before wincing. "There's no room for complaints in the wilderness," was his answer.

"As well to not worry anyone?" Link laughed, confirming Mipha's thoughts. Mipha pushed Link down to the ground so he was sitting. She went behind him and began healing several wounds on his back. "I know how much you like ranking your enemies. What would you say about this one?"

"It's strong and fast. Good shot too. I didn't know what to expect and as a result I took way too many blows. But if I ever fight another one, it wouldn't stand a chance!" Link exclaimed and Mipha could tell he had his confident grin on his face.

Mipha went to Link's side and noticed some burn marks. "What happened here?"

From where Mipha's soft hands touched, Link knew what she was referring to. "The thing can breathe fire. Not lizard fire, but giant fireballs. And by giant, I really do mean giant."

Mipha allowed Link to stand up and remove his pants, leaving him in shorts. She began healing the few scars on his leg. "…There."

Link stood up and immediately performed a back flip before doing some arm stretches. "As always, your healing is the best."

"Now then, how about we attend party?" Link finished putting his spare clothes back on and nodded. Mipha grabbed his hand and pulled him out the room.

* * *

Link groaned as he walked into the throne room. Aside from himself and the Zora King, it was empty as everyone else was partying in the plaza. "Why didn't you tell me there would be Hylian Soldiers here?"

King Dorephan laughed, as it seemed like that was all he could do for the night. "What's wrong? Disappointed you can't be too intimate with my daughter?"

Link sat down on the steps overlooking the domain. "To be honest, sir, yes. The soldiers aren't exactly accepting of this kind of stuff. Who knows what would happen if they found out."

"I have faith in your King, Link. He would surely not approve these soldiers if they didn't know how to control themselves."

Link wasn't sure about that. "…Sir, have you ever worn a mask?"

"Hm? Why do you ask?"

"There's the literal masks, used for disguises. Then there's our persona. A different face used for different events and people. The Zora's are very honest people. More than I can say for us Hylians."

The Zora King paused as he thought about Link said. "I recall those words from the King himself. But even he believes that all Hylians have at least someone whom they can be honest to. And I have a feeling I know who that person is for you."

Link blinked, turned and faced the King, trying to read the expression on his face. "I can't tell anymore if you're joking or are serious."

King Dorephan answered with a laugh and left, returning to the party and leaving Link to himself. Link sighed as he watched the Zora's and Hylian Soldiers interact. The soldiers were being very courteous and nice, something Link wasn't used to seeing. On the training grounds, there were no nice words. He supposed since he had spent years with the Zoras over his fellow Hylians that it wasn't surprising he wasn't used to their different personas.

"I was wondering where you went." Link looked up to see Mipha hovering over him. "Father told me you were here, taking a break. I hope I'm not intruding."

Link shook his head immediately. "Of course not." Mipha sat down next to him on the steps and leaned her head on his shoulder. "You seem tired."

"It was quite exhausting. Despite this being a party for you, it ended up being all about me. Hylians certainly are a curious race."

"If anyone's bothering you-"

Mipha quickly interrupted him. "You do not have to worry. They are all wonderful people." The two stayed like that for what seemed like hours, but in reality was ten minutes.

"Linny! The ceremony is about to begin and we need our hero!"

Link and Mipha let out a simultaneous sigh. Mipha stood up and helped Link up. Sharing a smile, the two headed towards the plaza.

* * *

Link knew that it was fake. All the faces he saw at Zora's Domain, all fake.

The moment he stepped into the Castle Training Grounds he felt all eyes on him. Not stares of admiration or anything positive, but out of contempt and distrust.

So maybe he over exaggerated, not everyone felt that way towards him. But it sure felt like it.

He was asked to spar, and he did. But the moment his opponent swung his sword, Link had already won.

Link sighed as he realized returning was a waste of time. He stayed to get some more training in but it was pointless. No one managed to land a hit, and he didn't even have a shield.

It was lunch and Link walked around the grounds, hearing the comments about himself. Snob, traitor, lucky, as long as Mipha didn't hear them, he didn't care. He glanced up at the castle walls and saw a familiar face to all of Hyrule looking down at him. The person had an unreadable expression, though even Link could tell she didn't like him.

 _When even the Princess of Hyrule doesn't trust you._

Link gave a small, wry smile and returned his attention to the door in front of him. He had thought knighthood would be full of laughs between comrades but in the end he continued to be alienated. Not that he minded, since that meant he could spend more time with Mipha, but he would have volunteered to be a Zora Knight if he knew he was going to be spending more time at Zora's Domain than his own town.

* * *

Link was sitting with Mipha at the edge of a cliff near Zoras Domain. The moon was high above the sky, and this time it was Link's head on Mipha's shoulder.

"Have you ever thought about telling them how you feel?" Mipha asked. Link had just made a comment regarding the knights of Hyrule.

"Would that really change anything?"

"Sometimes…words are needed to convey meaning. Actions speak louder than words…but that has not been working for you."

"I think it will make things worse. They would probably call me a spoiled brat." Link eyes were half-lidded.

Mipha took a glance at the head on her shoulder, choosing not to comment further. They've had a similar conversation in the past, ending with her assuring Link she will always be there for him. "You know I'll always be here for you no matter what you do."

"Yeah. And I'll always be grateful." Link smiled, closing his eyes.

Miph began to panic, "Don't fall asleep on me! I can't carry you back."

Link apologized and stood up. "I guess I'm just really tired." Link helped Mipha up and turned back to the sight of Zora's Domain. "How beautiful."

"Our homes have such a different appearance at night. It reminds me of how I will one day step in to lead the Zoras. And I couldn't be more honoured."

"You'll make a great ruler, I'm sure of it," Link assured, though he knew he didn't need to. Mipha had the support of all the Zoras and had him by her side. She couldn't go wrong. Link let out a yawn. "Come on, I'll walk you back."

Mipha gave Link a frown. "You don't plan on camping, do you?"

Link dug around in his pockets and pulled out a blue rupee. He gave Mipha a sheepish grin. "I don't think I have a choice."

Mipha shook her head and began walking. "You're coming with me. I have an idea of where you can stay."

Link walked by her side. "You better not use your power to get me a free room at the inn."

Mipha shook her head. "You don't have to worry. It's really late anyways."

Link looked at Mipha, curious and confused. "Then where?"

Mipha didn't turn to meet Link's gaze, to avoid him from seeing her blush. "You'll see."

It wasn't long before they returned to Zora's Domain, greeting the nighttime knights, and were soon in Mipha's room. Link took off his Zora's Helm and placed it on a small table. "You only have one…" Link stopped himself, realizing Mipha's idea. He wasn't against it, far from it, but he didn't want something like this to tarnish the reputation Mipha had built. Especially since the older Zoras did not trust Hylians. Or rather, they were just very cautious. "Are you sure about this?"

Mipha gave Link confident nod and began removing her jewellery. "I admit, this may seem selfish of me, but I would like to confirm something and this is the only way. I hope you do not mind."

Link was puzzled but decided to go along with it. Besides, he'll finally get to experience a water bed. He stripped down to his shorts and walked over to Mipha's bed. He placed a hand in it which sunk, as if he was touching a physical form of water. Link decided to sit on it and couldn't help but feel relaxed.

"Comfy?" Link was snapped out of his daze and looked at Mipha who had sat down next to him on the bed.

"You bet. Waterbeds are really neat," Link said, pushing his hands into the mattress once again, ignoring his urges to stare at Mipha who was currently wearing none of her usual jewelry.

Mipha giggled; she felt like she was watching Link as he was when they first met years ago and when she first showed him Zora's Domain.

"What are you laughing at?" Link asked with a grin. Mipha laughed before lying down on the bed, forcing Link to stand up unless he wanted to be a footrest.

"I suggest you get some sleep. If I recall, you have something important to attend to tomorrow."

Link's eyes widened and immediately lied down on the other side of Mipha. "I almost forgot!"

Despite this, the two stayed awake, staring at the ceiling above which was marked with patterns. Some Link recognized as the symbol of one of the Golden Goddesses. They laid on the bed in silence, until Mipha whispered "Link?"

"Hm?"

"I haven't confirmed anything yet. I was wondering if…you would allow me to sleep closer to you." Link didn't need to say anything as Mipha rolled closer, to the point where there wasn't even a gap between them. Link rolled on his side so he was facing Mipha.

"I think I understand," Link whispered as he placed an arm around her, how smooth her scales were. "Looks like I also needed to confirm something."

"Hm." Mipha responded, too embarrassed to even say anything. Her eyes were already closed and her heart was racing.

Though barely visible, Link could just tell Mipha adopted an adorable expression of embarrassment, something only he's witnessed. With that image in his head, Link let himself succumb to his fatigue.

* * *

It was early morning when Link awoke. The moment his eyes opened he found himself staring at red scales.

It took him a moment to realize he was staring at the head of his sleeping companion, whose head was buried in his bare chest. He rose up slightly, shaking the water bed and as a result, Mipha began to stir.

"…Link?"

"Right here," Link responded while looking at the window for some semblance of time. Considering the room was still fairly dark, he assumed it was before sunrise. "Perfect. I can leave without anyone asking questions."

Mipha heard that but still couldn't open her eyes. "…Don't."

Link chuckled and got off the bed. Mipha let out a quiet groan and rolled the other way. Scratching his cheek, Link put on his clothes and armour before quietly leaving Mipha's room and stealthily leaving Zora's Domain.

When he climbed onto a nearby cliff, he glanced back at Zora's Domain. "Now I really don't want to head back to meet the Captain…but I suppose I don't have a choice. But at least I confirmed my true feelings."

* * *

 **\- Story takes place after Chapters 1 and 2**

 **You guys are awesome. It feels so good reading a new review full of praise. And to guest** ** _Someone Else_** **, thank you and I will edit that chapter soon.**

 **So where would this be on a timeline?**

 **Before Link and Mipha became Champions, meaning before the Divine Beasts were discovered but Guardians have been discovered. This probably contradicts parts of the prophecy but eh. This is a fanfiction about Link x Mipha.**

 **And to clarify something** **a Guest said for Chapter 1:**

 _"…My only concerns towards the story is that the guardians most likely weren't discovered yet, and if so, weren't evil till calamity Gannon came…."_

 **\- I honestly doubt they excavated every single Guardian in a few months. I think it was a progressive thing over the years.**

 **\- The Guardian Link was referring to wasn't evil, but he simply observed its combat capability during testing. I should have been more specific.**

 **Story Content:**

 **This chapter was slightly shorter and random. Random prompts that held no meaning. But hey, I still had fun writing it. And nothing wrong with a bit of randomness.**

 **Beginning King Zora mentioned Link was ill. I had an idea for there to have been a heat wave and Link would bring fish to Zora's Domain and help the sick, Mipha included, and getting sick as a result but I scrapped that. Maybe I'll go through with it one day.**

 **I wanted to touch the whole "no one understands Link" thing since it seems more likely in BotW where a certain someone believed Link to have been handed everything, and if one person who barely knew him thought that, then what about other people?**

 **Reason I didn't was because I couldn't really make it work. That and it wouldn't have developed Link and Mipha's relationship at all. Maybe Mipha can comfort him but that's about it.**

 **I may try it out to see but no guarantees. HeiKitsune has a good one-shot that would have been similar to what I would have written. It's called** ** _The Crosses We Bear_** **if they don't mind me sharing.**

 **EDITS - 14.07.18**

 **\- Minor edits**


	4. Chapter 4

Howls of wolves filled the air on the mountaintop. They didn't last long as they were quickly silenced by three arrows that struck each skull.

Pulling up his hood that was blown off by the mountain wind, Link ignored the wolves' corpses and stared down from the mountaintop at the strangely garbed travelers.

It was hard for anyone to see from such a distance, but based on information given to him, he confirmed they were the people planning on wreaking havoc in Hyrule.

He didn't expect to see seven of them however, and for all he knew there were more but hidden. The smaller, skinnier persons didn't seem tough, but Link could make out a shining glint in the larger people's bags.

 _A longsword perhaps?_

Link touched the handles of his two swords for assurance before quickly running to the side of the mountain that would give him an advantage by shadows before making his descent.

While climbing down, he heard a maniacal laugh from below and he instinctively leapt to the left, and where he once was had two arrows stuck in the rocks.

Link quickly pulled the arrows out of the rock before throwing them away once he realized they were useless. Using his legs, he pushed himself back and jumped off the cliff into the air where he quickly turned around and saw his attacker.

Dressed in a blood-coloured version of the familiar Sheikah clothing and donning a mask with the reversed Sheikah symbol, Link had determined his assailant. Not that he was surprised.

Still in midair, Link pulled out his bow and fired straight at the person's mask.

Before Link realized it, he was in midair, succumbed to gravity, and was falling. Pulling out his sword, he almost grinned as he saw several of the members gather below him, each ridding their disguises and drawing their weapons. He swung his sword and the moment he collided with the ground, he created a shockwave that sent everyone in the area flying into the walls.

Link winced as he remained in position with his sword still in the ground. He tried moving any part of his body and when he was able to move his legs, he collapsed face-first to kiss the rocks.

It took a few minutes, but he gained control of his arms and reached into one of his pockets where he pulled out a hearty elixir that Mipha concocted for him. Using his remaining energy to remove the lid, Link drank the elixir in seconds and before he knew it his energy had returned.

Pulling up his hood once again, Link took a look at his surroundings and his handiwork. More corpses than he expected were littered around him. He looked back at his sword and wasn't surprised to see it shattered. Walking over to the larger members, he grabbed their weapon and noticed the blade was longer than he thought and had a slight curvature. It was definitely not your average longsword.

 _Maybe I'll ask the Captain about it._

The fact that he found a weapon he had never seen before excited Link. He took the sheathe from the corpse and placed it and the new weapon on his back and pulled out his spare one-handed sword.

A loud grunt behind him made him spin around before getting sent flying by an invisible force. He winced as he hit the wall and could feel the blood running down the back of his head. From where he was, he could see another one of the large members in the distance, but they were too far to have dealt that blow. Link looked down at his clothes and noticed a tear.

Link watched as his enemy held their longsword up before swinging it. Link could see the dust rise and immediately realized what he was fighting against.

 _That sword can manipulate wind!?_

Jumping out of the way, Link rolled and drew his bow and fired. To his surprise, his enemy simply brushed the arrow off with his arm.

 _That's some armour. If the Sheikah were the ones who crafted it, they never fail to amaze._

Link clicked his tongue as he grabbed the sword he dropped and rushed towards the large opposition. In response to the approach, the enemy slammed the ground with the sword resulting in a small whirlwind that began heading to Link.

Using the small whirlwind to his advantage, Link jumped and gaining some height he was able to quickly stab his foe through the mask, making them let out a loud scream before falling back with Link standing on his corpse.

Pulling out his red-soaked sword while panting, Link began analyzing his surroundings for any more enemies. While doing so, he began reassessing his performance and what he had done wrong.

 _Never ever get distracted. No matter what. If you do your job, then everything will work out. Since I was too busy looking at the damage, I was caught off guard._

The sound of horses galloping could be heard and Link stayed in place, waiting. When the horses appeared, Link was surprised to see dark skinned women were the riders. They're clothes made Link recognize who the people were.

 _Gerudo…_

Link had visited the Gerudo Desert once, but was denied entry not that he was surprised. He knew of the Gerudo's customs and in order to keep relations as peaceful as possible, he wasn't to break them.

Looking at the approaching group, he was surprised when he saw one of the Gerudo walking while the rest were on their horses. Especially since the aura around her, Link noticed, was of power, authority, and grace.

"Well, well, well. What do we have here?" The walking Gerudo spoke, voice as loud as lightning but as caring as a mother. "I had no idea there was such a capable Hylian voe in Hyrule. His Highness didn't do you enough justice, knight."

Link thought about why Gerudo would show up now before putting the pieces together. "The intel His Highness received was from the Gerudo?"

"Hm, I wonder why he didn't tell you that. We arrived to help you ambush them." The Gerudo looked around at the corpses. "But it seems that we weren't needed."

Link realized the implications of his actions. "I didn't mean any offence, I didn't know about your involvement." If relations between Hylians and the Gerudo started to waver, things would end badly.

The Gerudo instead laughed. "You're quite sharp." She approached him and stretched her arm. "My name is Urbosa. Gerudo knight."

Link glanced at the arm before staring back at the proud warriors eyes. Seeing a fellow warrior, Link gripped the hand before him. "Link, Hylian knight."

Urbosa's eyes lit up in recognition of his name and smirked as she let go of Link. "Knight? Not even a captain? You must be truly special if His Highness sent you to fight these _scum_ by yourself." Normally, Link would be embarrassed by the praise but he has a persona he needs to keep. So instead he shrugged, feeling like he's spoken enough. His response got a laugh out of Urbosa. "Strong silent type, hm? I don't buy it but I won't press. Now then, you seem injured. We have a healer in our group."

Just as Urbosa was about to gesture to her followers, Link shook his head, ignoring the pain from his head wound. "No need, I know a healer at a nearby stable."

Urbosa raised a brow. "Would they heal you for free?" When Link nodded, Urbosa smirked. "Is she a good healer, or do your feelings cloud your judgement?"

Link hid his shock behind his stoic mask. Urbosa had deduced the sex of the healer and his relationship with her. Well, she probably assumed his relationship with her was at the very least friendly. "Of course not, I'm more sensible than that." _But, if anyone harms her that's a different story._

Urbosa stared at Link long and hard before turning to her group. She raised a hand, "Go to Hyrule Castle Town." Her tone made the Gerudo do a quick salute before riding off.

Link watched them leave before turning to the warrior, confused at the order. "Do you think I need a bodyguard in my state?"

Urbosa shook her head, still donning a smirk. "Oh no, if we get attacked by anything I'm trusting you can take care of yourself regardless of your condition. I'm curious about this healer. If she's as good as you say, then it'd be best if I made their acquaintance."

 _But I never mentioned anything about how good she is…_

Looking at the Gerudo with a wary expression, Link turned around and began walking. The thought of them being disguises crossed his mind, but the moment he heard Urbosa's voice he knew they were genuine Gerudo. After all, the knights wouldn't stop talking about the Gerudo on their break and Urbosa's name popped up far more than once. So much that he couldn't believe she was a simply Gerudo knight.

Eventually the two arrived at a small stable that was behind a large rock that hid it from the main path. It was already night and everyone in the stable was sleeping, except for the stable owner and a red-scaled Zora.

The moment she saw Link, she rushed over to him and immediately pulled him over to a stool where she began checking his body. "I'm glad you're okay."

Before Link could respond, Urbosa raised a brow. "'Okay'? Do you see that head wound?"

Mipha blinked at the new face in front of her. "Huh? Oh…well, yes it's serious but he's had much worse wounds." Mipha then gasped as she recognized the woman. "Aren't you the Captain of the Gerudo Knights, Miss Urbosa?"

Link blinked in surprise. "You know her?"

Urbosa crossed her arms. "I would like to know that as well. I don't recognize you."

"Ah, well when all the leaders of the five tribes across Hyrule had a meeting, I was there and I remember seeing you."

Urbosa blinked in surprise. "That was years ago. And if you were there then you...oh my! You're the Zora Princess!? That jewellery sure makes your appearance look much more regal."

"Um, thank you," Mipha thanked, slightly embarrassed and began healing Link's wounds. Urbosa watched, amazed at the closing wound.

"That's impressive. Looks like the knight wasn't joking when he said you were an incredible healer," Urbosa complimented, watching the Zora Princess's face for a reaction.

And when Mipha's face turned a much darker red than when she complimented her, Urbosa smirked and stored the information.

Link was also watching Urbosa, realizing just how dangerous this woman could be. She was easily the sharpest person he's ever met. He also realized that as long as he remained on her good side, she is a very caring woman.

"There." Link stood up immediately and gave Mipha a smile of gratitude before walking over to the stable owner to grab Epona.

"Quite the knight you have there. If he wore some armour, he would literally be your 'knight in shining armour', hm?"

Mipha turned to the Gerudo who had a teasing smile on her face. "Uh, well, um…"

Urbosa laughed and placed a hand on the Zora's shoulder. "I think I'd like to learn more about you two. Quite an interesting duo you are."

"I don't know what to tell you without ruining Link's reputation…"

"If you're worried about me telling anyone your knight's true nature, don't worry. I won't tell a soul. Besides," Urbosa glanced at Link who seemed to be bargaining with the stable owner. "I think I have him figured out anyways."

Mipha tilted her head. "You're quite observant. I could tell Link held you in high regard when you complimented me."

Urbosa was surprised, before smirking. "You noticed?"

Mipha shook her head. "I noticed Link looking at you the same way he'd analyze a monster for its traits. I simply put the pieces together after that."

"Me? A monster? How rude." Urbosa laughed. "You two are _very_ interesting. I can't wait to learn more about you."

Mipha gave an uneasy smile and the two turned to Link who was approaching them with two horses. "Captain Urbosa, feel free to borrow this horse."

"Hm? And what about dear Mipha here?" Urbosa asked while getting on the horse, though she already knew the answer.

Ignoring Urbosa's smirk, Link simply helped Mipha up onto Epona. "Mipha's not the most experienced horse rider." Mipha's face turned red from embarrassment when she recalled Link trying to teach her how to ride a horse.

Urbosa laughed. "You'll have to tell me all about it on the way."

* * *

"So Link goes around and gets the materials for your various concoctions?"

Mipha nodded. "It's thanks to him I can create such effective elixirs. He travels a lot, while I never leave Lanayru."

"But you went to Gerudo with him." Urbosa pointed out.

"W-well, I wasn't going to let him go and fight a group of Sheikahs alone."

"But he did anyways."

"I told her to stay at the stable. Mipha's scary with her trident, but this was something His Highness asked me to do alone. Even if it costs me my life, I can't disobey orders from the king."

"Hmhm. You complement each other very well. Very interesting." Urbosa grew silent before turning to Link. "I have heard about you from the Princess."

Both Link and Mipha's eyes widened. "The Princess? Why?" Link asked.

"She mentions a warrior her age who is unparalleled. How you're so gifted." Urbosa watched Link's expression carefully. She noticed Mipha's expression darken slightly but Link simply sighed and his expression didn't change. "Don't hold it against her. She's had so much riding on her shoulders lately."

"It doesn't matter to me. As long as I fulfill my duties as a knight, she should focus on her duties as the Princess of Hyrule." Link quickly remembered he wasn't alone with Mipha and added, "It doesn't matter if she fails, as long as she tried. Then I can say it's been an honour to serve under her."

Urbosa accepted that with a smile and they continued to Castle Town, talking about themselves and to Mipha's joy, Link began opening up to the Gerudo warrior.

* * *

Another party. Filled with the laughter of the Hylians and Gerudo and music by the Rito. They were currently in the dining hall of Hyrule Castle where the King had proposed a celebration for all the Knights for their services.

Link himself sat alone at a small table he brought out from the back. He preferred it this way. When some knights and Gerudo tried to drag him to the crowd he would refuse.

"What are you doin' here by yourself, little guy?" Link opened his eyes in surprise at the sudden tough, yet kind voice. He was even more shocked to see a large Goron looming over him.

Link decided to answer his question with a shrug. "Celebrating."

The Goron responded with a loud, jolly laugh. "You sure? You don't look like you're having a good time!"

Link shrugged again. "What about you? What are you doing here, Daruk?"

Daruk, a Goron warrior who Link met years ago, rubbed the back of his head. "Dunno. The King asked for my presence, but I have no idea where the Sanctum is," Daruk laughed.

Link grew a smile of amusement before standing up from his chair. "I'll take you there."

"Thanks little guy!"

Link began leading the way, though watched in amusement as Daruk tried to fit through some of the doors. Eventually they opted to travel through the outside of the castle.

When they made it to the Sanctum, Link extended an arm. "And here it is. I'll be going now."

"Hold on little guy, what's the rush? Why don't you join us?"

"You know I can't unless His Highness explicitly says I can. Besides…" Link touched his near-broken broadsword. "I need to see the blacksmith in town." Daruk nodded and split ways with Link.

When Link arrived at the blacksmith he repaired his sword and handed the blacksmith the sword that manipulated wind. He then made sure he had extra elixirs, courtesy of Mipha, before nodding to himself. He was ready to go to an area that no one had ever ventured far enough in to know what was within.

He was going to explore the cursed forest to the north.

* * *

It took some time, but the disappearance of the warmth in her bed was finally noticed. Mipha sat up against her headboard and looked around for her sleeping companion.

"…" Mipha hugged herself, wondering about the warmth she felt. When she couldn't feel the warmth, she smiled. "I guess I really do love him. And...since he returns my feelings, I can finally start working on the gift I promised him all those years ago."

* * *

 **\- Story takes place after Chapters 1,2, and 3**

 **On a timeline this is just before the Divine Beasts would be discovered.**

 **Thank you for the really nice reviews once again!**

 **Story Content:**

 **Not a fan of how this turned out. At all. Somehow this ended up having two Champions appear and was very plot. Next chapter will be more Link x Mipha and will be Chapter 5 but take place** **BEFORE** **Chapter 4, unless people want to see this continued.**

 **I feel bad because this was nowhere near as decent as the first two chapters. It's not even as long as the others. I hope I can make the next chapter much better. I have a good, romantic idea in mind for a future chapter. Take that as a hint.**

 **Review what you think of this chapter and don't be afraid to critique it! It's a disappointment but at least it's something…right?**

 **EDITS - 14.07.18**

 **\- Minor edits**


	5. Chapter 5

Dusting his hands, Link looked at his surroundings. Lots, and he meant lots, of dismembered Lizalfos corpses. A normal person would have blanched and ran for the nearest bush but Link was so used to killing these monsters that he was pretty sure he knew their biology better than anyone.

He sighed at the thought, and stabbed one of the corpses in the eye and watched the red liquid gushing out. He'd consider his life unfortunate, if it weren't for his beloved Zora companion.

He turned around and watched as Mipha stabbed a Lizalfos that made a leap towards her. Her trident sliced straight through its body before she retracted it and thrust it once again up its jaw.

Once she was finished, Link walked up to her. "All clear?"

Mipha adjusted her jewellery. "I believe so."

Seeing her jewellery still not adjusted properly, Link helped her out, taking longer than necessary. "Me too. It just kind of sucks our date was ruined because of these things. Stupid lizards, stupid captain calling me away from our date to kill these stupid things."

Despite her blush, Mipha couldn't help but giggle. "You sound like you did when you were a child, complaining about anything that got in between us."

"You don't feel the same?"

Mipha shrugged. "I still got to spend time with you. As far as I'm concerned, that's good enough for me."

"But we could have so much more," Link sighed as he glanced at the hilt of his sword, still stuck in the Lizalfos eye. The hilt that had the symbol of the Royal Family engraved on it. It was an honour to serve under the Royal Family, it was the dream of any young boy. Especially since knights had the highest pay of any job in Hyrule. Link enjoyed it as much as he hates to admit it. But there were definitely times where it annoyed him. He would never speak his mind to anyone except Mipha though, as who knows what kind of punishment would await him.

"I think you've fixed my jewellery enough." Mipha's voice snapped Link out of his thoughts.

Link laughed and rubbed the back of his head. "Just wanted to make sure."

Mipha touched her head where Link had touched while adjusting her jewellery properly before glancing around. "It was surprising to see so many monsters here, so close to Central Hyrule."

Link shrugged. "His Highness and the Sheikah believe they were sent here by those Sheikah traitors."

"They control the monsters?"

Link shook his head. "From what I've heard, they simply were able to lure them here or something. We probably have a spy somewhere."

Mipha's eyes widened. "A spy!? Please tell me you've told someone!"

"It's just a theory on my part. I told Impa and she agreed she'd search everyone in Kakariko," Link assured, putting Mipha's mind at ease. If anyone could find out if there's a traitor, it was the capable Sheikah warrior. "Anyways, we've done our job, there's still some time in the day, let's go and-"

Link paused as he heard groans approaching from the forest. Mipha raised her trident, ready to strike while Link sighed. Eventually three knights came into view and immediately panicked when they saw a trident pointed towards them.

Mipha gasped and placed her trident on her back while Link suppressed a chuckle. The knights calmed down before realizing who were in front of them.

"Sir Link! Please, you must help him!" Two of the knights were helping a knight walk as he seemed to be critically injured.

"What did this?" Link asked, approaching the knights. He didn't recognize them but it's not like he was expected to know every single knight at the castle.

"Those…lizards!" One of the knights spat.

Link raised a brow as he looked at the injured knight. He had a wound across his chest that could be from a claw, but there was only one cut and not several and it was a lot less messy. "No medicine can heal this."

"Then let me see," Mipha approached and knelt down. She held her hand out which began glowing. The wound began to close, leaving the two knights shocked.

"That's incredible!"

"We definitely can't let you live!"

Link and Mipha didn't have enough time to register what that meant before Mipha's right arm was cut by a sickle from one of the knights.

Mipha let out a cry in pain before ducking and avoiding a swing at her head. Link immediately rushed forward and pulled Mipha back when the second knight attacked, getting the sickle stuck in his shoulder. The weapon made his enemies clear.

"Sheikah traitors!" Link growled, eyes as fierce a wolf's.

"He figured us out already. Our disguises were perfect too. What a guy." Without a second delay, the first knight who attacked Mipha slit the injured knight's throat before lunging at Link.

Link tried to jump back but the second knight pulled on their sickle, tearing Link's arm preventing him from moving. Link instead bent backwards as the sickle from the first knight nearly placed itself in his head. At that moment, Link raised his leg and kicked the first knight, causing him to stumble.

Mipha used this opening to rush in and stab the stumbling knight, trident going through his body, before swinging her trident to hit the second knight, making them lose grip on the sickle lodged in Link's shoulder.

Link knew it was a bad idea, but he couldn't help it. He pulled the sickle out of his shoulder against his better judgement and tossed it straight at the fallen knight, hitting them straight in the forehead.

The moment Link confirmed they were dead, he rushed over and gently raised Mipha's injured arm. "…You can heal yourself right?"

Mipha smiled weakly, "I can, but I must remain focused. And the pain distracts me to be honest so it will take a while."

Link let out a breath of relief. He knew Mipha could heal herself, but Mipha was never getting roughed up the same way he did. "I'll protect you while you heal then."

Mipha nodded even though her heart kicked and screamed to heal Link's bleeding arm with the large open wound. But she knew that she wouldn't be able to heal it proficiently unless she herself was patched up.

Link watched and was surprised when Mipha healed herself quicker than usual. It took her some time to heal herself when she has minor wounds. Link decide to voice his thoughts, "You healed yourself fast."

Mipha blinked in surprise as she realized what Link said was true. When her wound had healed and no trace remained, she moved over to Link and began healing his arm. "I have an easier time healing when I think about the most important things to me."

Link, who knew Mipha well enough, didn't comment but smiled before looking at the corpse of the dead knight. "Looks like I'm going to have to head back to Hyrule Castle and give a report."

"Yes, this is quite serious." Eventually Link's wounds closed and he rotated his arm, glad to no longer feel pain. "I shall return to Zora's Domain and tell my father what has happened. Will you visit tomorrow?"

"If His Highness doesn't have a task for me, then definitely." With that, Link let out a loud whistle and soon a teal-coloured horse was running towards them. "I don't think I need to tell you to be careful but…"

Mipha raised a hand. "I appreciate it nonetheless. Goodbye." Mipha turned around and began walking towards the waterfall in the distance. Link hopped on his horse and made his way back to Hyrule Castle.

* * *

Link was walking through the castle hallways when he saw a tall woman whom he, and every Hylian, recognized. "Lady Impa," Link greeted.

"Link. King Rhoam informed me of your recent fight with the Yiga Clan. It would have been better if you simply incapacitated them."

Link's eye twitched at the thought, specifically at the thought of sparing them after they injured Mipha. "They attacked and managed to wound me. I could only respond in kind."

"Then let me see this wound and judge."

Link nodded and was about to roll up his sleeves before realizing that any trace of the wound existing was gone. "...That's not important. But those Sheikah traitors posed as our knights and killed a fellow one. I believe His Highness agreed with my decision."

Impa gave Link an even stare that would have intimidated anyone else but Link stood his ground and met her stare with his own. "Regardless, it was a bad idea as it will only infuriate the Yiga Clan."

"Perhaps." Link walked past Impa.

"Also, it could be that it has been a while since I last fought alongside you…" Link froze, having a good idea where this was going. "…but I don't recall you ever letting your emotions cloud your judgement."

Link smirked, though Impa could not see. "I was upset." Link walked away, leaving Impa to ponder his words.

When Link opened the doors and walked onto the parapet walk, he was greeted by the smoky air of a fire below. He let out a breath of relief after almost getting found out. He look around the castle, watching knights and servants running around frantically. He walked over to the Guardian testing grounds and watched as the engineers were testing Guardian combat.

He also noticed the Princess watching from above with the castle's Sheikah poet standing by her side, presumably reading her one of his writings.

"Oi, Link!" Link turned to the person who called him and it happened to be the Sheikah Guardian researcher Robbie. "Help us out here, why don't you? We need someone who can hold a shield without staining their pants!"

Link blinked as he walked over to the excited man. "Catch!" Link quickly turned around and caught the royal shield thrown at him as a surprising speed. "Good catch!" Link gave a sigh as he looked at the women who threw it: the director of the Guardian research, Sheikah member Purah.

Link equipped the shield to his left arm and turned to Robbie. "So what am I doing?"

Robbie adjusted his glasses and walked over to the Guardian. Patting it, he explained, "You're going to hold that shield and let this thing fire at you. We're testing out our shield durability and what enemy can hit harder than a Guardian? Ready?"

Link gulped as he gripped the shield handle and steeled himself.

* * *

Link groaned as he leaned back against the craggy wall while his body was soaking in the soothing hot springs of Eldin.

"You got roughed up quite a bit little guy," Link's hot spring companion, Daruk, commented. "I've never seen you so exhausted."

"I didn't want to disturb the person who usually heals me, so I decided to come here. And I don't regret it," Link moaned as he could feel his bruises cleansed.

Daruk let out a joyful laugh. "Our hot springs are definitely the best in all of Hyrule! We'd be glad to install one in the castle for ya!"

"I should ask His Highness. I'm sure everyone back in Hyrule would love to experience a hot spring."

"No kidding. Not much Hylians come up here, you know?" Daruk scratched his head. "Anyways, back to you, how the heck did you end up getting so beaten? Were those lizards that tough?"

Link shook his head, and pointed to his body where there weren't any claw marks. "No way. I was just asked to help out with testing Guardians. Turns out they just wanted a target to test their accuracy."

Daruk looked concerned for the Hylian. "They had a Guardian shoot at you!? That's a bit much, don't you think?"

"Apparently all the other knights refused to help. And believe me, it was hard for me to just stand there and let myself get shot. If I could, I would have dispatched that Guardian before it could even fire." Link began to slide down and let more of his body be consumed by the water.

"You're something else, little guy," Daruk patted Link on the head, not with his usual force as he knew just how fragile Hylians were. "So tell me, this healer, they special to you?"

Link never even tried to hide anything from Daruk so he nodded. "I've known her for a long time now, she's a really good healer. If you ever need someone to heal, I'll introduce you."

"I guess that answers my question," Daruk laughed and grinned. He could hear the fondness in Link's voice when he spoke about her. "Though, you don't need to worry about me! We've got Eldin covered!"

Link nodded as he recalled the last time he saw the Gorons fight. Their power was so great that they had scared monsters away from the area. The only monsters that go near Goron City are Chuchus but they can't even hurt the Gorons.

If Daruk were to fight anything, Link was pretty sure they would die instantly from impact with his weapon that has the power to destroy boulders when in his hands.

"So, you planning on staying with us in the city for the night?"

"That doesn't sound like a bad idea."

"Perfect! It's been a while since we had a guest!" Daruk cheered, his laugh so joyful Link couldn't help but smile.

"Just remember…I don't eat rocks."

* * *

"Water is the best," Link exclaimed as he sunk into a cool pool of water. "Goron hot springs and Zora ponds…this is the life."

"I agree, for obvious reasons." Link watched as Mipha stepped into the pool and was swimming next to him. "I would love to try these hot springs. 'Hot water that rejuvenates the soul' is how you described it if I recall."

Link grinned and nodded. "I'd take you there, but the climate there is really hot. Anything could burn up by just being near the volcano."

"Then how did you manage? Fireproof elixirs?"

"Bingo."

Mipha sighed. "How unfortunate. Elixirs' effects don't work on us Zoras."

"I was thinking about asking His Highness if we could get one installed in the castle. If he agrees, you could try it out next time you're there."

"That would be nice, though our own private hot springs sounds much more appealing to me."

Link's face reddened at the sudden suggestion by Mipha. He was also upset that he wasn't the one to think of that. He couldn't let Mipha be the only one to do the teasing; that was his role. "We have a private pool, yet you want a private hot spring. You've become quite the greedy princess."

Mipha's face reddened but didn't back down. Instead she tilted her head cutely. "Is there anything wrong with wanting you all to myself?"

Link tried to respond but the only thing in his mind was Mipha's red face wearing her current cute expression. So he decided to concede and grab Mipha's hand. "You win this one. Have you been practicing?"

"Perhaps." Mipha sighed in content as she adjusted her position closer to Link. "I wish all days could be like this."

"In a few years, it can be," Link whispered.

Mipha's eyes widened. "Are you…?" Link's response was a simple wink before changing the topic. The two spent the rest of the night together, talking to one another or dreaming of one another.

* * *

 **\- Story takes place after Chapter 3 but BEFORE Chapter 4**

 **I think this I'll do this from now on to show the timeline of these chapters:**

 **1 – 2 – 3 –** ** _5_** **– 4**

 **Sorry for how long this took. I fell ill for a week and spent another week recovering. But wow you guys are super nice with your reviews! It's honestly getting scary uploading chapters now because I'm worried I won't live up to your expectations!**

 **Story Content:**

 **I actually like how this chapter turned out even though it was a bit short. Specifically the Link x Mipha moment at the end. Hope you guys liked it as well!**

 **An idea I had was some Hyrule news reporter catching Link and Mipha together and it would chaos since they're both well known. Couldn't make it work but maybe I'll try again in the future if you guys want.**

 **Also, remember that "good, romantic idea" I had last chapter? Yeah I forgot it…Just goes to show you should always write your ideas down.**

 **And as I was writing that I remembered it :P**

 **Guest** ** _Latest_** **asked "…how old is link in chapter 4?"**

 **To be honest I haven't been keeping track of his age. Well not that I wasn't keeping track of it, but I just didn't feel it necessary to specify. Assuming he's older than Zelda, 17 would be his age in Chapter 4. Chapter 4 basically takes place before Link gets appointed.**

 **Adding on to that,** ** _ZeroTech_** **asked for age differences between chapters. I left it up to interpretation on purpose so I won't give any more details regarding ages. And the end bit of the Chapter 4 is indeed after the end of Chapter 3.**

 **I had hoped the way I've been writing these events and the timeline haven't been confusing but it seems like that hasn't been the case.**

 **Criticism, feedback, and ideas are always welcomed so review if you have any!**

 **EDITS - 14.07.18**

 **\- Minor edits**


	6. Chapter 6

The loud sound of an elastic being pulled filled the air. Or perhaps it wasn't that it was a particularly loud sound, but rather the entire area was silent.

The elastic made a "boing" and a pellet was flying through the air, heading straight for the intended target.

Only to miss and hit the holder of said target.

Quickly the silence dissipated and was instead filled with murmurs and laughs, all ignoring the sobbing holder.

"That's some bad aim you have there, kid." The group filled with chatter stopped before realizing there was a person with a dark blue hood sitting atop a nearby hill, clearly having watched the whole event play out. "But I'm sure you're sorry, right? You didn't _mean_ to hit him in the face, right?"

The one who fired the small toy looked around for assistance from his friends, only to find them stepping away. The firer turned to the hit child and apologized quickly before running off with his friends.

The onlooker sighed before standing up quickly. The onlooker walked over to the small boy and crouched and grasped his head, getting a good look at his face, specifically the bruise where he was hit. This gave the boy to get a good look at the onlooker: A stoic expression with blue eyes and a face that only belongs to a young man.

"Looks like it didn't do much in terms of damage, but I guess it must have hurt, huh?" The onlooker stood back up before shrugging and turning around. "Unfortunately, I don't know much about dealing with bruises. Why don't you head back home and get treated properly? While you're at it, explain what happened."

"I can't…"

It was a timid whisper that barely reached the speaker's own ears. "And why not? Afraid you'll just get bullied even more? At that point the only thing you could do is get stronger on your own."

"Stronger?" The boy looked back up at the onlooker before looking back at his own, incredibly smaller body.

"Physical training isn't the only way you can get stronger. I'd go home if I were you. Best get an injury treated, no matter how small it is, as soon as possible."

The boy was hesitant before nodding and running off, pausing to get one last look at the onlooker. When the boy was out of view, the onlooker sighed and turned around to leave. "I'm one huge hypocrite."

"I agree." The straight mouth on the onlooker curved upwards when the soft, melodic voice reached his ears. "Now, what was that? 'Best get an injury treated, no matter how small it is, as soon as possible'?"

To the side he could see a horse with a large, filled pack on its back trotting towards him with a bright scaled Zora walking beside it. "Hey, even I know I don't make the best decisions. If I had to choose between taking the stairs and jumping, you know which one I'd pick."

Mipha sighed before growing a smile. "Even if you were at the Rito Village?"

" _Especially_ at the Rito Village."

The two shared a laugh before Link took Epona's halter from Mipha. He gave her a soft pat on the head afterwards, making Mipha pout. "I'm not an animal…"

"My bad." Link didn't even bother trying to look apologetic as he rubbed Epona's nose before the three began walking once again, Mipha by Link's side who was in between Mipha and Epona.

"Out of curiosity, what was that about?"

Link shrugged and pulled down his hood, letting his hair blow in the wind. "I don't really know. I just stumbled across some kid group. One kid told this other kid to put an apple on his head for slingshot targeting. I decided to stay and watch."

"You ended up standing up for the child though?"

"I was never a fan of the 'odd one out' thing."

"Do you perhaps have similar, unpleasant childhood memories?"

"Nah. Nothing that bad. If anything I was admired because I was the child of a knight."

"I see." Mipha looked towards the distance where only blades of grass grew over lots of hills. "Isn't it your job as a Knight of Hyrule to reprimand those children?"

Link gave Mipha a strange look. "I'm a knight, not a babysitter. We deal with stuff that affects the citizens' safety and lives. Those kind of stuff we leave to parents and instructors."

"I suppose you're right. It's just incredible to me how it will only take a few years before they become more…mature."

"Mature isn't the word I'd use."

"Well what else do you call the ability to make more reasonable decisions?"

"That's another decade for them," Link joked, getting himself an elbow jab to the side.

"Honestly, if I didn't know any better I'd think you really enjoy degrading your race."

"It's not like I think every Hylian is..." Link looked over his shoulder where Hyrule Castle and Castle Town were still visible. "I probably shouldn't finish that sentence here. But I just have much more respect for the other tribes across Hyrule. Even the Yiga Clan to an extent."

"And the other tribes sure don't seem to respect the Hylians nearly as much," Mipha sighed and rubbed her elbow. "At least they're all on friendly terms. It would be bad if anything were to damage that relationship."

"I got the Gorons and especially the Zoras on more than just peaceful terms," Link gloated before giving Mipha a wink who pretended she didn't notice.

"Sometimes I wonder if you're even Hylian. You've performed incredible feats for a Hylian of this day and age."

Link let out a wistful sigh. "Sometimes I wish I was a Zora. You guys have everything a Hylian has and more."

"Except our inability to gain the added effects of elixirs and use anything electricity related," Mipha listed begrudgingly.

"I guess that's a fair point," Link conceded while scratching his cheek sheepishly. He suddenly donned a wistful expression, his eyes making him look like he was staring somewhere far away out of reach.

"Link?" Mipha called out worriedly and even Epona turned her head to gaze at her rider.

"Have you ever wondered what a Hylian-Zora would be like?" Link blurted out, still donning his far away expression.

Mipha's face suddenly burned at the thought. "N-no, I can't say I have. But… I can't say it's an undesirable thought."

Link gave Mipha a glance to see her looking in the distance with an expression not unlike the one he was wearing a few seconds ago. "A Hylian-Zora," he repeated, regaining the attention of his Zora companion. "That would be an interesting development. But let's not worry about that for now."

Mipha almost pouted. "You're the one who brought it up…"

Link rubbed the back of his head with his free hand. "My bad."

Silence enveloped the two of them as they continued walking. It was a quiet walk through the grassy fields. Until the sound of machinery operating filled the air. Mipha pointed towards her right where there was a tall hill. When they reached the top of the hill they saw a young woman with white hair fiddling around with a large mechanical creature with six legs.

"Lady Purah?" Link whispered from atop the hill, taking a step back not wanting to get closer to the Guardian and its researcher.

Purah on the other hand thought quite differently once she noticed Link. "Link! Perfect timing! Come here and help me out!"

"Sorry, I'm busy with another task. But, um, what are you doing?"

"Hmph. I won't tell you if you don't help me." Almost like a child the woman crossed her arms and huffed.

"Link, may I…?" Link turned to see his companion staring intently at the Guardian. He knew Mipha's fascination with the ancient technology that had been showing up during the various excavations around Hyrule but Mipha was never allowed near them to see. Realizing this was a-once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for her, Link sighed and nodded.

Even if it wasn't a rare opportunity for the Zora, Link wouldn't have been able to say no to Mipha.

The way Mipha's face brightened at his response along with her hands clapping together only enforced his thoughts. Link left Epona at the top of the hill and walked down with Mipha.

"Oh? Who's the Zora?"

Link put on his stoic expression he used whenever he was talking to a Hyrule official. Or any Hylian, really. "I'm surprised, Lady Purah. Even you should know Princess Mipha of the Zoras."

"Oh...Oh! I can't say I'm not surprised to find the Zora Princess traveling with you. Is there an interesting story behind that?" Staying true to his quiet public persona, Link shook his head.

Purah sighed in defeat, knowing Link wouldn't budge. "Boring. Well, what can I do for you, Miss Mipha?"

"I am curious about these Guardians. I never got the chance to see one up close. Link has told me about their combat capabilities, but also how they have not a single trace of defense or intelligence. They are simpler than the average Lizalfos he claims but I find that hard to believe considering the amount of technology the Sheikah used."

Purah glared at Link while Mipha was too busy studying the Guardian. Link tried to pretend to not notice the glare given by the Sheikah researcher but it was proving difficult so he coughed into his fist. "I'll be honest Purah, their only advantage is they pack a punch _if_ they can hit."

Chills went down Link's spine when Purah gave him a very sadistic grin, one he wasn't sure he's ever seen on the woman. "Then I guess it's a good thing you can test its _new_ combat capabilities. You have all this wide open space after all. One hour, tops."

Link opened his mouth to reject the idea but Mipha beat him to it. "I'm not sure if I'm comfortable with Link being the test subject for such a dangerous task." Mipha was well aware of Link's abilities, but Guardians were far from average in terms of raw power. Or so she heard. One blast could mark the end and she never got a chance to see what kind of wounds they give since Link decided to go to the Goron Hot Springs to heal instead of going to her.

Something of not wanting to disturb her which irritated her far beyond belief.

Link glanced at Mipha and could only make out the concern on her face. But he knew she wanted to see what exactly a Guardian could so. Steeling himself up, he faced Purah. "Fine, I'll dispatch your Guardian."

Purah's grin only grew. "Or will it dispatch you?"

Link ignored the concerned look Mipha gave him and equipped his broadsword and knight's shield. He could tell it was going to be a long hour.

* * *

Link collapsed after watching Purah walk back to Castle Town, mumbling to herself about improvements. Behind Link was a pile of scrap that used to make up one large monster along with fires creating updrafts.

"You got too overconfident, hm?"

Link resisted the urge to cross his arms and huff. "Despite her age, Purah's nothing but an annoying child who just wants to win. Delaying the timing I got so used to…that's not going to make them better at fighting at all." Link respected Purah greatly, more than he'd admit, but like most people there's some traits he'd rather not deal with.

Link let out a breath of relief when he felt Mipha's healing hands on his chest. His outfit couldn't even be considered clothes anymore. His long pants were now shorts and his shirt was practically non-existent. He was hit once by the Guardian laser but it was more than enough to send him flying into the nearby flames.

"Excuses isn't like you, Link."

Link stayed silent while Mipha continued on her healing ways. She wouldn't say it out loud, but the amount of wounds Link received from that one blast were some of the deadliest wounds she's seen, thus she was becoming quite exhausted. And she knew Link would notice and they'd have an argument.

"Mipha, you should-"

"I will not."

Link furrowed his brow at the sudden forcefulness behind her voice. "This isn't something to be stubborn over. I can still walk."

"Barely," Mipha noted how he fell to his knees as soon as Purah left the area.

"At least let's go somewhere more private," Link suggested. Mipha hesitated before nodding, extending a hand to help Link up which he accepted and they began look for another place to continue the healing process.

* * *

Mipha glared at Link who was sheepishly rubbing the back of his head. "You lied."

"Well, we're going somewhere more private, right?" Link knew there was no way out. Either Mipha was going to get mad or she was going to guilt him. Or both.

Instead of finding a place to rest, Link managed to get them all the way to the Zora River before Mipha realized he wasn't going to stop and heal anytime soon and would rather continue with his duty. "I wanted to at least get to one of the rivers that connected straight to Zora's Domain so you can get back home before your father begins to worry."

Mipha sighed and looked at the water where a fish just jumped out of, making a splash when they returned. "I should have known. You're too selfless, Link. I wasn't worried about myself because it's simply exhaustion. You on the other hand are in pain."

"But if you became too exhausted and fell asleep…"

"You would have protected me." Link was rendered speechless as Mipha looked at him with a mixture of cold fury and warm love in her eyes, her words finishing the blow. "You would have made sure I was safe."

"Yeah, I would have." Link admitted. Although he never had to protect Mipha as she was always capable of defending herself. "I think I was afraid that I wouldn't have been able to protect you."

"You're the mightiest Hylian I know. You even managed to defeat a Lynel where no other living being as succeeded. Why would you think so?" It was out of curiosity that Mipha asked, tilting her head.

Link gulped, almost afraid to speak. Weakness wasn't something he's ever shown. Not even to Mipha, even when he was a child. "I've never had to protect anyone. I've always done my duties alone, so there was usually no one to look after. Even when I fight with you, I know you're capable of handling things on your own and I have your back as you have mine but you are never completely defenseless. But when you're asleep, completely defenseless I wonder what would happen if we were ambushed, if they had several archers, if there was a sneak attack. There were so many _terrifying_ possibilities."

Mipha said nothing but forced him to sit against a cliff face as she resumed healing his wounds. Unfortunately, while some disappeared, some reopened, almost making her irritated before she remembered his sudden confession. "I'm glad you feel that way," she finally said. "Now you know how I feel whenever you perform your reckless actions."

"It's a painful feeling…Should I stop?"

Mipha shook her head while moving down his chest. "No, it is because you have confidence in your skills and ability to survive that I know you'll always be fine. That, and I'm always here right beside you to help however I can."

Link tilted his head up, staring at the sky. "Yeah, that's also why I do half the stuff I do. Because you're here. And I hope you never leave."

Mipha had always admired Link's bluntness. He was always so honest and Mipha would be lying if she said she wasn't influenced by him. Her father embarrassingly tends to point that out. "I never will, but you…"

The lifespan difference between Zoras and Hylians was something they had never discussed. Mipha was always afraid that bringing it up will cause her to be on the brink of tears. She wasn't wrong.

"One hundred years sure is a long time for me…but for a Zora it's nothing, huh? Maybe I'll look into some age-reversing Sheikah technology." Link said with a grin, but was also hoping to end the conversation there. Knowing that he wouldn't even be around for when Mipha takes the throne was disheartening enough. Mipha was likely to barely grow by the time he had white hair.

Mipha collapsing on his body snapped him out of his thoughts. He could hear-no, feel her breathing heavily. He grew concerned immediately; Mipha had never exerted this much time into healing before. "Mipha?" He whispered, placing his arms on her shoulder.

"I…apologize. These wounds are quite difficult. A good note, however…I've learned the type of wounds a Guardian can give so…next time I'll be able to heal you more efficiently." Link resisted the urge to laugh when she raised her head to give him a cheeky, yet tired smile.

"I still don't understand how you're healing works, but if learning the wound type helps then I'm glad to be of service." Link wasn't even sure what kind of wounds he received. All he was aware of was when the Guardian blasted him, he felt like his skin was tearing off his body to the point he'd just be bones. "Anyways, just rest for now. Epona and I will protect you," Link whispered, glancing over at his horse.

"You sound so scared." Link was about to question what she meant before realizing she had put a hand over his heart. His heartbeat must have been beating faster than Epona galloping at full speed.

"Or maybe I'm just in love?" Link suggested, fully realizing that Mipha had fallen asleep. Smiling, he adjusted himself before standing up while carrying Mipha in his arms. Giving a nod to Epona, the two begin heading back up the mountain towards Zora's Domain.

It was a quiet, peaceful walk up the mountain. A nice change of pace from the last few weeks that were filled with nothing but conflict. There was the occasional break but even on his break he'd be ambushed by monsters.

Zora's River was peaceful with only the occasional fish jumping out of the water. Of course, this was thanks to him and some of the other Zora Guards as they make it a habit to clear out the monsters from the area. They didn't want another Lynel situation after all.

When the bridge to Zoras Domain came into view he gestured for Epona to rest. He followed and placed Mipha against Epona's soft hair. After unloading Epona of the large pack he sat down next to Mipha and also leaned against Epona. He would wait for Mipha to wake up before entering the Domain. Not that he'd be particularly embarrassed, after all practically every Zora knew of his relationship with Mipha. He knew that Mipha on the other hand would be extremely embarrassed to know he brought her back home in his arms under the eyes of every Zora.

The more he thought about it, the more he wanted to.

If she stayed asleep for another half hour he might.

Much to Link's dismay, Mipha began to stir. When her eyes fluttered open, she was shocked to see her home in the distance. Turning to her side, she saw Link grinning at her sheepishly. "I'm almost afraid to ask…but did you carry me here?" Link's widening grin answered her question, making sigh and brush one of her head-fins. "Then allow me to finish what I started."

"Sorry, I wasn't sure how long you'd be asleep." Link apologized as Mipha adjusted herself in front of Link and began finishing up the remaining chest wounds.

Mipha sighed before smiling, already used to Link's impulsiveness. Her smile quickly disappeared as she finished up the last chest wound. "It's almost fascinating how these Guardians deal damage. The beams seem like they have an anti-healing property in them."

Link narrowed his eyes. "Probably just one of Purah's pranks."

"It's quite ingenious. Used against a monster, it would be a matter of time before they die. If they survive the first blow that is."

"I wonder. Have you ever heard of 'I won't fall for the same trick twice'?"

"Yes, of course. You tend to use that phrase yourself. Why?"

"Well, I just kind of doubt these Guardians will be as useful as the Royal Family is making them out to be. I mean, if I can dispatch a Guardian, then who's to say a monster can't? Or even the Yiga Clan?"

"A fair point, I suppose. But you're also different. You train your hardest and improve. You've probably surpassed every knight in your kingdom with your skills. Those Guardians seem quite efficient otherwise. At the very least they could be used as sentry to get rid of incoming monsters."

"Yeah, you're right. So, are you finished?" Mipha nodded, standing and taking a step back. Link stood up after and patted his chest. "Amazing as always."

"Hopefully if you ever get hurt by a Guardian again I'll be able to heal you much quicker."

"If you learned something then it was definitely worth taking a Guardian's beam head on," Link smiled cheekily making Mipha frown.

"I'd rather you not get hurt for my sake. But it's in your nature to get roughed up. It's who you are after all."

Link nodded, content with Mipha's words. "So, shall we finish up this delivery?"

Mipha nodded and Link picked up the large bag in both of his arms and began walking with Mipha beside him. "Link…" Link stopped and tilted his head towards her. "We cannot share our burdens. We live two different lives in different circumstances. But I know I can trust you to listen, and you me."

Link was ready to drop the bag and hug Mipha on the spot but they were too close to Zora's Domain to do that. So instead he nodded and gave her a regular, genuine smile, free of the usual carefree nature. "Of course. It's because of you I'm even still sane after all the stuff I've had to put up with in town." Link laughed even though he knew Mipha wouldn't find any humor in what he had said. "Let's finally finish this delivery and maybe we can spend some more time together."

* * *

An arrow cackling with electricity flew upwards before falling down, landing right in front of Link. The delivery was a success, but the "spending time with Mipha" part wasn't. Royal Family duties and Link wasn't going to get in the way of that. Not if he planned on having his father's approval, he half-joked to Mipha.

Who was he kidding, it was anything but a joke.

After all, he already had her father's approval.

So for now he was trying to perform the technique the Lynel used against him, and that was making his shock arrows homing. With little success.

The thought of shooting himself to have a reason to see Mipha crossed his mind but he immediately dismissed it.

All of a sudden, Link could feel a stare at his back that was not his trusted steeds. Turning his head slightly, he managed to see in the distance a blonde girl wearing some blue tunic. Shrugging, Link resumed shooting his arrows above, trying to figure out how to make them homing by using nearby woodland lizards as test subjects.

Of course, shooting such tiny creatures was difficult. "Maybe I should search for an enemy camp," he sighed before jogging over to collect his arrows. Usually when a Shock Arrow lands, it loses its electrical element and is just a regular arrow. But if he was lucky they might still have some electricity. He heard the footsteps of the girl approaching.

"What are you doing?"

It was her voice that made Link's eyes widen. Quickly turning to the girl, he realized who she was and immediately dropped to a knee. Princess Zelda had just approached him.

He figured he should answer her question. "Training."

"The best soldier, training?"

Link would have assumed that she was sarcastic, but it almost sounded like a bit of sarcasm with genuine surprise. Urbosa had mentioned that the princess talked about him, but he could barely remember about what specifically. He was used to people talking about him behind his back that it didn't matter much to him.

So his response was to remain silent.

"What are these arrows?" Princess Zelda picked one up from the ground and tapped the arrowhead before recoiling in literal shock. "Electricity…?"

Link found it strange how the Princess of Hyrule, known for her obsession with artifacts and technology, wouldn't know about Shock Arrows. It's been years since he introduced them to Hylian weaponry.

"Oh! Are these some of the new arrows the Sheikah have been developing?" Princess Zelda slowly moved her fingertips along the arrow's shaft. "But theirs are more technologically advanced. This seems to just have electricity imbued…"

Link wasn't going to bother explaining it to her. They're in weapon manuals which even credit him as the founder, even though the lizard monsters had them first. He wished the Princess would hurry up and leave.

Speaking of which, where were the guards?

Each Royal Family member has specific guards dedicated to protecting them.

The only explanation was…

* * *

"She sneaked out of the castle!?" Mipha put her hands over her mouth in surprise while Link sighed and nodded.

"I figured she would know better, with the Yiga Clan out there," Link mumbled, lying on Mipha's delightful waterbed. It had been a day since the encounter with the princess and he returned to his second home.

"I suppose. But I can't say I blame her. To be so guarded without much freedom…I can't say I empathize with her, for father has granted me a generous amount of freedom despite being a Zora Princess, but I can sympathize with her."

Link wanted to point out that it was because Mipha had combat skills that weren't just archery and could defend herself if things got close and personal.

"I'm glad you're not bounded by responsibilities. It makes going out with you much easier."

Mipha finally joined Link in bed and laid down next to him. "It…definitely has been enjoyable."

Link caught it. It worried him, but he caught the slight hesitation. "Is-" Before Link could finish Mipha quickly interrupted him.

"'Something wrong?' I don't know. Link…are we…moving too fast?"

Link placed his gloveless hand on Mipha's waist, and for once had an expression of uncertainty, but quickly hid it. It was too late, for Mipha had already saw it. "I don't know. We haven't established anything…and when you think about it this is the most intimate we've ever gotten."

"Sleeping with one another is a pretty large leap," Mipha pointed out.

"Yeah, guess we skipped some obvious steps, huh?" Link sighed and brought his hand up to Mipha's cheek. "Maybe it's time we finally…"

Mipha didn't say anything but moved her head closer. Link followed before being the one to do it.

To initiate their first kiss.

* * *

 **1 – 2 – 3 – 5 – 4 –** ** _6_** **– 4**

 **"4 – 6 – 4" you ask? Well I needed to place it somewhere, so I just chose between meeting Urbosa and the knight party.**

 **I could either apologize and give the old fashioned excuses or just cut straight to the authors note.**

 **…Fine you guys deserve to know. Life = busy. Stress increased. Wanting to write increased. Ability to write decresed.**

 **As a result my Breath of the Wild knowledge is rusty. I 100% the game a while back and beat Master Mode the day after it released (3 Heart Run, no DB of course).**

 **Now this chapter…**

 **I had so many drafts for this chapter. One was Link exploring the Lost Woods before getting the Master Sword and later meeting Vah Ruta and Mipha. Another one was a flashback chapter to years ago shortly after Link met Mipha. Another one was a random day for the couple. Another was right when Calamity Ganon awakened and Link fought through Divine Beasts and Guardians before confronting Calamity Ganon.**

 **All these drafts so I have been working on this story even though it's been months. The reason for not actually updating was because I didn't want to disappoint anyone. So I updated choosing the "random day for the couple." I needed a bit of fluff :P**

 **I wanted to post a long chapter for you guys to make up for the long absence…but I guess 4.5k words will have to do. Still longer than all the previous chapters.**

 **And to quote myself during one of my pms:** _So no, I haven't given up this story. Anytime I even think about forgetting this story, all it takes is Mipha's theme to remind me why I started it in the first place._

 **So since it's been a while, I'll appreciate any criticism or anything really. Though with how long this took I don't know if I deserve it. Hopefully this didn't disappoint anyone too much.**

 **Story Content:**

 **I went with my "random day for the couple" draft. Of course, this random day ended up being more important to them than any other day. Even though it was more than one day.**

 **I really needed something fluffy.**

 **I wonder if I should explain my characterization of Link now.**

 **I think BotW Link enjoys fighting, or rather just enjoys the wilderness. Sure he may be a serious knight in those memories, but when he's alone fighting without anything dire on the line, he's probably having some fun. When I play BotW even though the game is really easy, it doesn't change the fact that it's fun to play and watch. Like sidestepping out of a Lynel's charge is kind of hilarious when you think about it. "Oh, whoops, missed me!" So that's why my BotW Link is more carefree and reckless but still skilled.**

 **EDITS - 14.07.18**

 **\- Minor edits**


	7. Chapter 7

It was a quiet night at Zora's Domain where all the Zoras were sleeping except those who had guard duty, and a certain princess.

The quick sound of pen on paper echoed in the large, mechanical room she was currently in. "That's the last check," Mipha said aloud while walking outside the room to be greeted by the sight of the cliffs of the edge of the Water Reservoir.

Walking down the trunk before sitting on the edge, Mipha let out a sigh of content. "Ruta…I know you were created for battle with the previous Calamity, but I believe there is more to you. How else could I control you so easily, where even that proud Goron struggled?" Tugging the new, blue scarf over her left shoulder and tightening it around her waist, she rubbed the trunk softly and could almost swear she heard the Divine Beast respond with a purr.

In fact, she could almost hear the Divine Beast ask her a question, one her father has asked her many times.

 _"What is it that bothers you?"_

And just like her father, she was sure Vah Ruta knew the answer.

"So much has happened...and ever since Link returned from the forest with that new blade, our time spent together has shortened greatly." Mipha subconsciously gripped her scarf. Closing her eyes, she could feel a soothing sensation in her mind and she let herself doze off on the trunk of the Divine Beast.

* * *

"A request?" Mipha stared at the envelope in her hand with curiosity. "From the Royal Family?"

"It's strange, as that letter has the insignia for both an official meeting and a request. They mention ancient Sheikah technology relating to each of the four races."

Mipha immediately teared open the envelope and pulled out the piece of paper inside, excitement evident in her expression as she read each word. "They want a capable warrior? Please, father, allow me!"

King Dorephan nodded, knowing his daughter was capable and would not change her mind. "I suppose we have no choice. It would make us Zoras look bad otherwise. However I will need to remain here to lead the Zoras. Perhaps I'll get Seggin to escort you?"

"Very well. I'll make my preparations and be on my way." Mipha watched her father walk away to find Seggin, her skillful combat teacher, before turning around and staring at the empty throne.

It took a day before they reached Hyrule Castle Town. As usual, it was a bustling place to be with every race from across Hyrule socializing. After conversing with some Zoras who recognized them, they were at the gate to the castle.

On the way, she saw familiar long blonde hair flowing at his cheeks, the head wearing a hood walking towards the blacksmith. "Lady Mipha, isn't that Link?" Seggin asked, chuckling when Mipha quickly ran over to Link immediately.

When Link noticed, he pulled down his hood. "Seggin? Mipha? What are you doing in town?"

"A request from the King of Hyrule," Mipha answered before observing Link. A longsword was on his back while he was carrying his broken broadsword that he broke when he fought the former Sheikah the other day. "Are you _now_ getting your sword repaired?"

Link rubbed the back of his head sheepishly. "I didn't really need to. I've been testing this sword out," Link jabbed his thumb at the sword on his back. "This sword can create whirlwinds but who knows what else it can do? So I'm going to give this to the blacksmith to check out."

Seggin placed a hand under his chin. "A sword that can create whirlwinds? Perhaps when this blacksmith is finished you'll allow me to check it out?"

Link nodded immediately with a grin. "Of course! I'd love to see what the finest Zora warrior could do with it."

Seggin nodded in content before turning to Mipha. "We should be going."

"Yes, but Link, are you planning on travelling? Your gear is slightly different from normal."

Link nodded and showed off a large pouch attached to his tunic. "I can hold a lot more elixirs. I think I'll need them when exploring the Lost Woods."

Mipha blinked as she digested his words. "I…see. You have been preparing for this for a long time. As long as you come back safe and sound, I wish you luck." Mipha gestured to Seggin who handed her a bag. She pulled out three elixirs. "Here, just in case."

Link accepted the elixirs graciously and put them in his pouch. "Well I don't think I will have any problems now."

"Don't get too cocky now," Seggin advised.

Link waved him off before gesturing towards the castle. "Don't worry. Anyways, you two should get going. You know where to go but just in case, follow the path from the main gate of the castle and you'll be fine. Ask the knights for directions if you need to." Mipha and Seggin parted ways with Link and followed his advice, Mipha glancing back to see Link go on his own way.

Link himself stopped and looked over his shoulder and the two made eye contact. Giving her a smile, Link exited from her vision. Growing a smile of her own, she quickened her pace much to Seggin's dismay.

* * *

Link climbed down from Epona's back and looked up at the forest in front of him. It was odd, he thought, how there was mist circling the forest that seemed to never dissipate no matter the weather conditions. He was aware of the dangers the forest was said to have. There have been many travellers who never returned and those who did said the forest "spit them out."

Link turned to Epona and pulled out a carrot in which she happily ate. "Listen, I don't know how long I will be gone but I do know I will be back. So if I take a day or two, don't feel like you need to stay here waiting, all right?"

Even though Epona nodded, Link could see in her eyes that she wouldn't leave. Giving a wry smile, He rubbed her nose before turning around and stepping into the cursed forest.

The moment he entered, he was enveloped in darkness with only two stone lanterns illuminating the area along with the light of the entrance.

Looking around, Link was surrounded by nothing but dead trees and yet he couldn't help but feel like everything was watching him. And he means _everything._ Kneeling down, Link touched the grass and could feel its lushness, making him furrow his brows.

 _The grass is still alive. Are the trees really dead?_

Link looked back up and noticed the mist moving, making Link grip the hilt of his broadsword in anticipation for something that would jump out of the mist.

Nothing appeared and Link walked over to the stone lanterns. _If I'm too paranoid, I don't think I'll survive. But if there are strong monsters and I'm too lax…_

Link spun around in an instant and swung his sword before stopping at what was behind him.

 _A…tree? When did that get there? And when did those stone lanterns get over there?_

Link walked back to the lanterns and decided to venture forth. He could feel many eyes on him but when he looked in any direction all his eyes would meet are the dead trunks of many trees. Link took a deep breath.

 _I'm getting stressed out by trees. Trees._

Link stopped and took his time regaining his composure. Pulling down his hood, Link wiped the sweat off his head even though the forest was not particularly hot or cold. There was nothing, he noticed, except mist that moved about as if it was alive.

Walking forward, he didn't make it far until the mist began to thicken like fog. Link took a step back and turned around only to be stopped by more fog. "Get away!" Link shouted as the fog began closing in. Extending his right arm, Link spun to try and create wind that would distance the fog but nothing happened.

The fog closed in and covered Link, blocking his vision completely before the sound of hollow giggles filled his head. Link panted as he fell to his knees clutching his head as a headache seeped in.

Then as quickly as it came, the mist and headache went away immediately. Link opened his eyes and noticed he was back at the two stone lanterns. What was different was on the ground was a stick. Any person would pass it off as a branch, since it was difficult to tell in the darkness, but Link looked closely to realize it was a torch.

"I have a feeling burning the forest down won't work…" Link grabbed the torch before lighting it. He watched the flames closely, for any sort of hint. Fire was a mystical force, he learned from the Sheikah and Gorons. Flames can help guide one and there was no way it was a coincidence that there was a torch next to lanterns in the Lost Woods.

When he saw a small ember fly, he raised a brow. There was no wind, if just a very light breeze. Perhaps that was the hint he needed. Following the direction of the ember, he made his way around several dead trees, the direction of the flying embers continuously changing.

Wolves howling in the distance could be heard but Link wasn't worried. Wolves weren't a threat whatsoever. But their meat were worth killing them.

Shaking his head from his hungry thoughts, he soon came to an area where the fog began to lift and the area seemingly brightened. As if life was bestowed to the entire forest.

Maracas and some sort of jingling could be heard, and it was fairly loud. Walking underneath a tree root that was similar to an arc, Link was able to see something he never imagined the forest to be hiding.

A village. There weren't houses, but how else could you describe this place? It was full of life and joy.

But the actual residents were a race he was clueless about.

They weren't the only thing to catch his attention. An old, stone pedestal holding a sword that despite clearly being rusted was still able to gleam with a type of beauty unlike any other weapon.

Walking closer, the residents of this haven stopped everything they were doing to stare at him. He noticed they were more organic than anything. He stopped moving himself, wondering if he intruded in some holy place.

"This is the first time in quite some time that I've seen a Hylian." The voice wasn't particularly loud, but it boomed in Link's ears, echoing in the forest. Link looked in every direction in search of the source to find none.

"Up here, young one."

Up. Looking up and all he could see was an incredibly large tree. It looked fairly old as well. But he could not see anyone on it.

"Yes, you have found me."

It was slight, but the tree seemingly moved slightly, making Link jump. A _talking tree._ "Um…" Link was at a loss for words. Everything going through his mind at that moment was incomprehensible, even to him.

"It's not every day we have a Hylian visitor. One who can see the Koroks, no less."

Koroks. The term was familiar to him. He read about them in the Castle Library. "Koroks?" Link looked at the small wooden creatures with leaves for faces. "I never thought I would see one…"

"Of course. Hylians normally cannot see them. If you could, would you stand in front of me. I would like to speak to you properly." Link didn't waste any time vaulting up the large root that was directly in front of the tree's hollow face. "Much better. I am the Great Deku Tree, guardian of the forest. May I ask for your name?"

"Link," Link answered, bowing slightly.

"And you are a warrior, I see." Link nodded, and the Great Deku Tree let out a loud hum. "This is no coincidence for you to arrive today of all days. I sense an upcoming tragedy, and the Master Sword has begun to shine."

"Master Sword?" Link couldn't help but blurt. The Sword that vanquishes evil, wielded by the Legendary Hero? That was what the sword was?

"If you may do me a favour, could you please attempt to pull it out? If you are not up for it, you will be able to tell by your draining spirit."

"That's not reassuring or anything…" Link muttered but jumped down off the root. He saw no reason to refuse. He watched as the Koroks stepped aside to let him walk to the pedestal, each staring at him intensely like a child getting a new toy.

Link stared down the Master Sword. Its hilt was a beautiful purple followed by the blade that shone even with all its rust. He gripped the sword's grip with both hands immediately. He looked at the hole the sword was stuck in and for a brief second he wondered if it was even possible to pull it out. Shaking his head, he began to process by pulling upwards.

He was more than surprised when the sword was pulled out with relative ease, the rust on the blade bursting as it shone.

It seemed he was the only one surprised, however. "As I thought. It was no coincidence you came here, Link. Your power will be needed in the upcoming tragedy. The Master Sword wishes to lend you its strength. Will you accept it?"

His back felt heavier and he noticed a fancier, empty sheathe was now on his back. Link stared directly into the dark eyes of the Great Deku Tree before nodding. "I am a Knight of Hyrule. I will do everything I can to protect the kingdom."

"Your courage is admirable. Your wisdom even more so. And with the Master Sword, your power is greater than any. Please, take the time to get acquainted with my children. They will be of use to you, I'm sure."

Link looked around, noticing the Koroks have begun to resume their activities. Giving the Great Deku Tree a nod, Link started to acquaint himself with the fellow Koroks. What's wrong with befriending another race, after all?

* * *

The crunching sound of a snapped twig echoed as Link stepped out of the forest covered in a dense fog. Covered in leaves, he sat down next to the river, on his back the purple and blue hilt of a sword evident.

"That was…" He said aloud, staring at his reflection, in particular the hilt of his new sword in the reflection. He then noticed the lighting around him to be different than he expected.

Looking up towards the sky, he didn't see the sun overhead but instead a full moon. "Full…wait how long was I in that forest for!?" Jumping up, Link turned back to the cursed forest that still remained as mysterious as when he first entered. "Wasn't it a waxing gibbous?"

Going through the moon phases in his head, learned from a bard at a stable, he tried to figure out how long it had been. "A week? Maybe less? Regardless, it's been more of a day…Ah Mipha's going to kill me!"

His loud whistle echoed and soon his faithful horse was seen galloping to his side. Link smiled at his devoted companion who had never left the area despite how much time had passed. He rubbed Epona's neck before climbing on.

* * *

"…Mipha."

Link watched in amusement as he saw Mipha almost jump at the sound of his voice. She turned around and met Link's gaze. She slowly walked up to him before sighing. "I…can't say I'm too surprised."

"Sorry," Link apologized while grinning sheepishly. Mipha understood his desire for adventure. It was what he lived for. So that means being gone for a while.

"Well, have a seat," Mipha gestured to her bed, the only place to sit in her room. Link happily complied and almost collapsed on the spot.

"Beds are great…" He mumbled, lying down. He felt Mipha's weight on the bed shortly. Sitting back up, he gave her a smile. "Ask away."

Ash she did, and answer he did. He almost laughed at the way her eyes sparkled. Mipha always had a fascination for the unknown. Ancient technology or forgotten races. "And this sword…" Mipha trailed a finger over the blade. "Amazing…you're a hero. Although I can't say I'm surprised."

"I…don't know. I mean, I always knew I was a really good knight but hero-worthy? I'm more selfish than people realize."

"I don't recall selflessness being a prerequisite of being a hero," Mipha teased, making Link chuckle. "Although you're quite selfless. You've done a lot for Hyrule."

"Yeah, but enough about that. Anything new happen while I was gone?"

"They've almost finish excavating the Divine Beast! And I was chosen to be the one to pilot it!" It was rare for Mipha to show this level of excitement, but it was cute.

But firstly… "Divine Beast? Those incredible Sheikah tech they found a while back?"

Mipha nodded happily. "Yes and the one they found near Zora's Domain will be called Vah Ruta, to honour an ancient Zora Sage."

"Pity," Link said, leaning back while putting his hands behind his head. "I'd name it Vah Mipho…or something."

"I'm really glad you weren't there…"

Link laughed while Mipha sighed in content before shifting closer to Link. "Am I allowed to come and see the grand opening?"

"I don't see why not. You are one of the Hylian Captains, are you not?"

"Don't remind me of my responsibilities," Link joked before letting out a yawn. "Man am I hungry and tired."

Mipha stood up from the bed, smiling sweetly at Link. "Feel free to stay and rest then. I have to go see father."

"Tell him I said hi," Link murmured, his eyelids no longer obeying him and closing. He never got to hear Mipha's response before he fell into his slumber.

* * *

"Introduing…Divine Beast Vah Ruta!" Link had to blink several times after Robbie's declaration. Massive, was the only thing going through his mind. That, and _how can I beat it?_ Mipha's reaction was different, if not similar to the Princess's; full of awe. "The princess has already activated each of the terminals so control should be yours, Princess Mipha."

"Ah…yes. I'll see right now!" With no hesitation, Mipha dove into the reservoir before leaping out of the water with incredible height and landing on the lowered trunk of the Divine Beast.

Link allowed himself to smile while watching the ecstatic Mipha. Until he felt a strong hand on his shoulder. Turning slightly, he saw the gruff face of Hyrule. Immediately, Link lowered himself to one knee. "Your Highness."

"Rise Link." Link did just so. "It is my understanding you have a sword on your back. But not any sword, the Sword of Evil's Bane."

"Yes, Your Highness."

"Something is going to happen to Hyrule in the near future, and as the boy chosen by the sword, we would like to request your aid in becoming part of a group dedicated to fighting any upcoming tragedy."

It sounded no different than being a Knight, but Link knew it was different. Not to mention he can't just refuse a request from the King. "What is this group, Your Highness?"

The King gestured to his daughter, the Princess, who was holding some strange tablet and aiming it specifically at the Divine Beast. "Consisting of four warriors chosen from the four races across Hyrule and being led by the Princess of Hyrule."

"These four warriors are the ones who will be piloting the Divine Beasts?" Link turned back to the Divine Beast, knowing Mipha was inside and probably having the time of her life. He wants to join her, but he had an image to uphold. Burdens to bear.

"Correct. These individuals are known as Champions. A Goron Champion, a Zora Champion, a Rito Champion, and a Gerudo Champion. Followed by the Princess of Hyrule and her Sealing Magic and the Hylian Champion who is also the boy chosen by the Sword that Seals the Darkness. There wouldn't be a single thing that could oppose them."

"…And Princess Mipha is the Zora Champion?"

"Correct. So what say you, Link?"

"I'll accept." Hearing that Mipha was already a Champion made making the decision even easier. He would have accepted regardless, but it definitely tipped the scales.

"I'm very glad to hear that." The tone of his voice made Link realize he was more than glad. This must have been more serious than he realized. "You're a spectacular swordsman and have done a great service. I think I'll appoint you as Princess Zelda's knight as well. Is that all right with you?"

 _No. No no no no no no no._ "Yes, Your Highness." He never wanted to be a knight for a member of the Royal Family, let alone the Princess who despised him. Glancing over to her, their eyes met and he could practically see the fury in them. Averting his eyes, he looked back towards the Divine Beast.

Sighing, as he realized he may not get to spend too much time with her, Link began walking over to the water's edge.

"I want to see inspect the Divine Beasts myself, if that's all right Your Highness?"

The King nodded. "Very well. Please come to the castle tomorrow. We'll have your Champion's tunic ready. Let's be on our way, Princess Zelda."

She gave Link one last glare before following her father and the many knights and Sheikah around them. When he realized he was alone, he dived into the water and swam to the trunk, which happened to move lower making it easy for Link to climb onto.

After sliding down the trunk (which was as much fun as shield-surfing), Link found Mipha in a room with some waterwheels.

"Isn't this incredible Link? This Divine Beast is made of machinery and yet it's as if it's a live. As if it has a soul."

"Vah Ruta…" Link repeated the name aloud, looking up to see how high the inside of the Divine Beast was. "Amazing…You two are going to get along great, I know it."

Mipha appreciated the comment and smiled brilliantly, almost making Link blush. "Oh, and watch this…" Mipha strode over to another room and suddenly a loud cry was heard.

Before Link knew it, a shadow covered him. Looking up, he saw the trunk of the Divine Beast directly overhead before he was suddenly submerged in water.

"What on earth!?" Link shouted, in annoyance. "It can do that!?"

"Amazing, isn't it?" Mipha returned from the room she was in. "Apparently, according to the Princess of Hyrule and one of the Sheikah Researchers, it may be possible to control the Divine Beasts without using the terminals."

Mipha rose her hand in the air, as if grasping for the overhead trunk, before suddenly the trunk disappeared from view and presumably returned to its original spot.

"That's amazing…You've already gotten the hang of controlling this Divine Beast!"

"It really is amazing. And now I'll be able to help you!" Mipha moved directly in front of Link, grasping his hand in both of hers, making Link complain internally for wearing gloves. "When the time comes, you can count on me to help alongside Vah Ruta."

Link placed his remaining hand on top of both Mipha's. "I always count on you. It won't be any different then or now."

Leaning forward, their lips touched and lingered slightly longer than usual. When they parted, Link frowned. "I've been appointed as the Princess's knight."

"Yes, I overheard the King speaking with one of the Sheikah Researchers about that."

"That means less time for us…"

"And less time traveling for you."

Link sighed in disappointment. The past decade had been seemingly leading to something grand between the two of them. But now…

"Promise me, that when this is all over, you'll take me to another festival."

"'When this is all over', huh?" Link chuckled, before returning her lips on his, giving her his answer.

* * *

 **1 – 2 – 3 – 5 – 4 – 6 – 4 –** ** _7_**

 **I guess not much people realized Chapter 6 was up, or LinkxMipha died quietly. Or the new school year is killing everyone.**

 **My guess is number 3.**

 **Anyways, this chapter ended up much longer than I expected. I was barely at 1k words during the Lost Woods part and was like "Well, this will be a short chapter." Nope. 4k words (I mean, that's still short but for this story is pretty long).**

 **I also don't get why people thought this story was dead.** **I didn't update for, what, one or two months? _(...)_ I know I updated practically weekly during the summer but still. ****Not to mention a lot of people who asked me if I was going to update were Guests…who I have no way of replying to.**

 ***NEVERMIND didn't realize I didn't update this story since, like, the end of April. NEVERMIND. Now I feel bad…**

 **Story Content:**

 **I'll be honest, my memory of Breath of the Wild lore is rusty so I'm just going off that rusty memory. I think it's fine to have some inconsistencies here and there since, in the end it doesn't matter too much since having confirmed LinkxMipha is already diverging from canon. I'll still try to keep it as close to canon as possible though.**

 **This was my "Link exploring the Lost Woods before getting the Master Sword and later meeting Vah Ruta and Mipha" draft. It was the one I put the most work in before I made Chapter 6. And in the end I ended up erasing most of it because it made no sense to me. So this is a refined version of that draft.**

 **I liked it.**

 **That's it really. The question is: did you guys like it? I'm curious to know your thoughts.**

 **Oh and I'm going to be re-reading all the reviews to see if there's any past suggestions for ideas that I liked. If you have anything you want Link and Mipha to do feel free to suggest them.**

 **Also, if you think the Calamity is near, then you're half right. Yeah, the Calamity is approaching but inbetween now and then, there will be a lot of Champion time. Interactions between the whole group soon!**

 **I feel like I'm forgetting to mention something. Oh well.**

 **Again, criticism, feedback, and ideas are always welcomed! So review if you have any!**

 **EDITS - 14.07.18**

 **\- Minor edits**


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